Equalities and Human Rights Commission: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many contracts the Equalities and Human Rights Commission has to procure consultancy support; how many staff are provided under each contract; and what the cost inclusive of VAT was of each contract in the last 12 months.

Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (the Commission) is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided.
	The Commission procured the following six contracts to provide consultancy support over the last 12 months.
	
		
			  Contract value inclusive of VAT (£) 
			 Moorhouse Consulting Ltd 17,557.18 
			 ACAS Northern Region 2,004.00 
			 Cordis Bright Consultancy 10,910.40 
		
	
	
		
			 DWP 208.85 
			 Government's Actuary Department 3,600.00 
			 Veredus 19,087.97 
		
	
	No staff were provided under any of these contracts.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the (a) effects and (b) benefits that the High Speed 2 project will have on Wales;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the benefits of High Speed 2 to Wales;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the effects on rail infrastructure in Wales of High Speed 2;
	(4)  what meetings she has had on High Speed 2.

David Jones: Regular discussions with a range of interested parties, including Ministers in the Department of Transport, take place on issues that affect Wales, including rail infrastructure.
	The Government are currently consulting on a new national high-speed rail network. This is part of a wider programme of modernisation of the rail network, including electrification of the Great Western main line to Cardiff. The consultation will consider a range of issues including potential benefits for Wales.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), on 28 June 2011, Official Record, column 643W, to my hon. Friend the Member for South Northamptonshire (Andrea Leadsom).

Agriculture: Carbon Emissions

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy on greenhouse gas emission abatement.

James Paice: Between now and the end of 2012, DEFRA will be reviewing the full range of policies and activities that have an impact on agricultural GHG emissions, including the common agricultural policy (CAP).
	The Government are committed to ensuring that we have a thriving and sustainable farming sector in the UK and we are seeking ambitious reform of the CAP from 2014. We continue to place a strong emphasis on the role that CAP should play in improving environmental outcomes, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Capita

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts her Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) individual monetary value and (b) net worth was of those contracts.

Richard Benyon: The following table identifies contracts with organisations that are part of the Capita group of companies and show the monetary value of each contract. The expenditure on each contract is the same as the value.
	
		
			 Department/agency Supplier Number of c  ontracts Contract  value   (£) Detail 
			 Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Capita Resourcing Ltd 1 12,469.20 Services to assist selection of non-statutory members of inshore fisheries and conservation authorities 
			      
			 Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratory Agency Capita IB Solutions (UK) 2 65,000.00 Support of Integra accounting system 
			    29,821.00 Annual licence for software maintenance 
			      
			 Food and Environment Research Agency Veredus Capita 2 175,000,00 Interim services 
			    607.68 Resourcing Workshop 
			      
			 Rural Payment Agency  0   
			      
			 Veterinary Medicines Directorate  0   
			      
			 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science  0

Departmental Billing

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of invoices from small and medium-sized businesses were paid by her Department within five working days of receipt in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: The Department does not currently distinguish SMEs when measuring performance on paying invoices within five working days.
	The performance of the Department and its Executive agencies for payments to all suppliers for the financial year 2010-11 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Within five days average full year Percentage 
			 DEFRA 66.3 
			 FERA 75.6 
			 VMD 83.4 
			 CEFAS 53.3 
			 RPA 97.9 
			 AH 96.1 
			 VLA 75.1

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what statistical data her Department has ceased to collect in the last year; and what the (a) reasons for and (b) savings arising from each such cessation were.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has stopped the following key regular collections in the last year:
	
		
			  Reason Estimated cost savings (£000) 
			 Earnings and hours of agricultural workers Survey suspended given intention to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board 30 
		
	
	The design of collections, content and publications change as we review the information needed and seek out more efficient approaches.

EU Law

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what European directives in force on 1 April 2010 her Department is responsible; and what European directives for which her Department is responsible have come into force since 1 April 2010.

Richard Benyon: The stock of EU legislation in force is set out in:
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm
	It would be of disproportionate cost to review the entire stock to establish which pieces of legislation are currently the responsibility of DEFRA.
	There are a number of directives, which have come into force since 1 April 2010, for which my Department has responsibility and I will write separately providing a detailed list.

Forestry Commission: Redundancy

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow North of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 245W, on the Forestry Commission: redundancy, if she will make it her policy to put on hold the decision to reduce the Forestry Commission spending settlement pending the outcome of the work of the Independent Panel on Forestry on the future of the public forest estate; what information she has sought from the public and representative organisations on the decision to reduce the Forestry Commission settlement; and when working with the Forestry Commission on delivery of key outcomes, what methods were used to assess the impact on (a) biodiversity, (b) recreation and (c) education of the proposal to reduce the Forestry Commission settlement.

James Paice: The Government have no plans to put on hold the spending review allocation to the Forestry Commission. In deciding the budget allocations for DEFRA and its arm’s length bodies, Ministers took account of spending priorities and the contribution of individual arm’s length bodies to achieving key outcomes for the Department. The Forestry Commission continues to recognise that it may need to adapt its spending review plans following the Government's response to the recommendations of the Independent Panel on Forestry, and has structured its plans in such a way that this flexibility can be achieved.

Livestock

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make an assessment of trends in levels of livestock production in each of the last four years.

James Paice: Levels of UK livestock production are published annually in the DEFRA publication "Agriculture in the United Kingdom". The latest publication dated May 2011 is available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/foodfarm/cross-cutting/auk/
	UK livestock production in each of the last four years is shown in Table 1. Meat production is in carcase weight equivalent.
	
		
			 Table 1: UK livestock production 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Beef and veal (thousand tonnes) 888 866 823 898 
			 Mutton and lamb (thousand tonnes) 329 332 313 287 
			 Pig meat (thousand tonnes) 707 706 681 712 
			 Poultry meat (thousand tonnes) 1,464 1,462 1,457 1,573 
			 Milk (million litres) 13,626 13,326 13,204 13,540 
			 Eggs (million dozen) 720 754 751 826 
			 Source:  Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2010, DEFRA. 
		
	
	Information on UK production and overseas trade is brought together in “Agriculture in the United Kingdom” to show the total UK supply of livestock products (in carcase weight equivalent for meat). Possible uses include food manufacturing, catering, household purchases and pet food. Note that the household consumption figures given in reply to the recent question on consumption of beef, land and poultry are part of this picture and are given in product weight rather than carcase weight equivalent. The tables in “Agriculture in the United Kingdom” should be used if comparing production with overall supply to consider trends in self sufficiency.

Meat

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate how much (a) beef, (b) lamb and (c) poultry was consumed in the UK in each of the last four years.

James Paice: Quantities of beef, lamb and poultry purchased for UK household supplies are sourced from the 'Expenditure and Food Survey' for years 2006 and 2007 and from the 'Living Costs and Food Survey' from 2008 onwards. The 2010 data are currently unavailable but will be published in November 2011.
	The data collected relate to purchases and not consumption. Consumption data are not collected. It is assumed that all purchases are consumed. Purchases of non-carcase meat and meat products such as sausages, pies, and meat-based ready meals are excluded. 'Eating out' purchases are also excluded as it is not possible to identify quantities of beef, lamb and poultry within the ‘eating out’ data.
	
		
			 UK household purchases of beef, lamb and poultry 
			 Thousand tonnes per year 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 
			 Beef 390 391 351 354 
			 Lamb 161 170 137 147 
			 Poultry 632 645 653 648

Public Appointments: Females

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of those holding public appointments in his Department's public bodies which were made by (a) his Department, (b) the Prime Minister, (c) the Crown and (d) the bodies concerned are women.

Jeremy Hunt: As at 31 March 2011, of the total 505 current public appointments to the Department's arm's length bodies, 182 (36%) were women. 416 public appointments were made either by departmental Ministers, the Prime Minister or HM the Queen, on the recommendation of Ministers, of which 161 (39%) were women.
	To provide details of the public appointments made in the manner you have requested, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the Department's individual public appointments is published on our website:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/about_us/public_appointments/1006.aspx

Royal Parks Agency: Demonstrations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on what grounds the Royal Parks Agency can decline to approve a public demonstration; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: The Royal Parks has a long tradition of accommodating public demonstrations and has policies and procedures for managing them. Under the Royal Parks Regulations 4. (17) those who wish to
	“organise or take part in any assembly, display, performance, representation, parade, procession, review or theatrical event”
	must get written permission.

Financial Policy Committee

Alison McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent members of staff are to support the Statutory Financial Policy Committee; and what proportion of such staff will (a) be staff of the (i) Financial Services Authority and (ii) Bank of England and (b) be newly-recruited.

Mark Hoban: The Financial Policy Committee will have at its disposal analytical resources across several Bank directorates, in particular: Financial Stability; Markets; and, to the extent that it is relevant, Monetary Policy. A new FPC secretariat, which sits within Financial Stability directorate, has been established to coordinate analytical and process support arrangements for the FPC. Its budget is 6.5 full-time equivalent staff.
	FSA staff also play a key role in briefing FPC members and implementing policy actions on behalf of the FPC.

Freezing Orders: Syria

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who amongst those persons who have had their assets frozen under the Syria (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 (S.I., 2011, No. 1244) was classified as a politically-exposed person before the beginning of operations in Libya.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 5 July 2011
	The Government do not maintain a list of politically-exposed persons (PEPs).
	Rather it is for financial institutions to determine whether or not someone is a PEP, drawing on the definitions set out in the UK's Money Laundering Regulations 2007 and the global standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and taking account of available information about individuals' positions and activities.
	Given the definition of PEPs, the Treasury expects that regulated businesses will have identified many of those subject to the Syria (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011 as PEPs and to have treated them accordingly.
	It should be noted that identifying someone as a PEP does not automatically mean that financial institutions are unable to do business with that person. Rather it requires them to undertake enhanced due diligence before starting a business relationship and on an ongoing basis thereafter. Businesses must not start a relationship with a new customer unless they can satisfy themselves of the legitimacy of the customer, their funds and source of wealth.

Housing

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the receipts the Exchequer will receive from local authorities in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland as a result of the housing revenue account subsidy scheme in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14.

David Gauke: The Housing Revenue Account Subsidy system only operates in England and Wales. The receipts in respect of England are. a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government, and in Wales it is a matter for the Welsh Government.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letters of 21 April and 25 May 2011 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay regarding Mr G. Dixon.

Justine Greening: holding answer 7 July 2011
	HM Treasury has no record of having received letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 21 April and 25 May 2011 regarding Mr G. Dixon. I have asked my officials to contact the hon. Member’s office to obtain copies.

Taxation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the merits of adopting the approach to tax deferments practised by the previous Administration.

David Gauke: Since its launch in November 2008, to the end of March 2011, HMRC's Business Payment Support Service has agreed some 428,800 arrangements involving £7.37 billion of tax. £6.31 billion has already been paid to HMRC from mature arrangements.
	However, its launch did not, and does not, affect HMRC's underlying policy or approach to time to pay which has not changed.
	HMRC continues to offer a sympathetic ear to businesses—and individuals—in temporary financial difficulty and we will continue to offer the BPSS as part of their time to pay arrangements for as long as it is needed.

Access to Work Programme

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people in his Department are being supported in employment under its access to work programme; and what proportion of his Department's staff this represents.

Maria Miller: The Department for work and pensions does not use the access to work programme to provide assistance to its disabled employees and as such none of its employees should receive support from the Access to Work programme.
	Instead DWP provides the funding for support and adjustments for its disabled staff including those working in its agencies, for example Jobcentre Plus.
	DWP, as one of the largest Government Departments, made a decision in 2003 (in agreement with Ministers) that it would meet the cost of support and adjustments needed by disabled colleagues, rather than draw on the limited Access to Work programme. Potentially, this means more funding for smaller employers who are more likely to be concerned about the cost of adjustments.

Child Care Tax Credit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of households with child care costs per week in excess of (a) £125 for one child or £210 for two or more children and (b) £100 for one child or £150 for two or more children.

Maria Miller: The information is not available for all households, since there is no one source which provides comprehensive and universal child care costs. Child care costs are also highly variable.
	In estimating current child care costs there are a number of different sources: the most relevant of which is administrative data for the child care element of working tax credits (see details following) but this does not give a complete picture as it does not cover all households. There is a survey of parents conducted for the Department for Education in England, but it does not allow us to accurately estimate the numbers of households with weekly child care costs over these amounts.(1) No administrative data are collected for the other two main potential sources of information, which are those receiving employer-supported child care, and those whose child care expenditure is disregarded in housing benefit and council tax benefit.
	Administrative data shows that 493,000 households were in receipt of child care element of working tax credits in the United Kingdom at April 2011. Of these households:
	49,000 had one child and reported child care costs of over £125 per week;
	28,000 had two or more children and reported child care costs of over £210 per week;
	73,000 had one child and reported child care costs of over £100 per week;
	65,000 had two or more children and reported child care costs of over £150 per week.(2)
	(1 )Smith R. et al (2010) Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents 2009, Department for Education RR054.
	(2 )The figures are consistent with the latest tax credits provisional statistics for April 2011 which can be found at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-apr11.pdf

Child Care Tax Credit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department calculates its estimates of rates of additional take-up of assistance with child care costs under the proposed universal credit.

Chris Grayling: Universal credit modelling is conducted using the Department's policy simulation model. This is a static microsimulation model based on data from the 2008-09 Family Resources Survey, uprated to the relevant year's prices, benefit rates and earnings levels.
	The modelling is adjusted to take account of imperfect take-up using microsimulation techniques. This is important as we expect take-up of entitlements to rise under universal credit due to the increased simplicity and integrated nature of the new benefit.
	A number of assumptions are made about the extent to which take-up will rise in universal credit as a whole. The key assumptions being that those currently taking up some but not all of their entitlements will take-up all of the universal credit, while around half of those not taking up any of their current entitlements do so under the new system. We assume that in some cases take-up will remain unchanged, for example those people that we consider are currently not satisfying the requirements of the conditionality regime.

Disability Living Allowance

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which key activities he proposes will be examined as part of the proposed objective assessment for disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: On 9 May we published our initial proposals for the assessment criteria for personal independence payment which will replace disability living allowance from 2013. These were developed in collaboration with an independent group of specialists in health, social care and disability. We intend that the priority in the benefit should go to those individuals who are least able to live independent lives and so are proposing to assess individuals’ ability to carry out a range of key everyday activities.
	The activities we are proposing to assess are:
	Planning and buying food and drink;
	Preparing food and drink;
	Taking nutrition;
	Managing medication and monitoring health conditions;
	Managing prescribed therapies other than medication;
	Washing, bathing & grooming;
	Managing toilet needs or incontinence;
	Dressing and undressing;
	Communicating with others;
	Planning and following a journey, and
	Moving around.
	These activities have been chosen to provide a more holistic assessment of the impact of disability that the current DLA criteria, considering the impact of a more comprehensive range of impairment types. For example, the introduction of communication is a significant departure from DLA and one which will ensure we better take into account the effect of impairments of hearing, speech and language comprehension.
	We are currently carrying out an informal consultation and have already met with over 60 disability organisations to discuss the criteria, how they will work and how they might be improved. We are also testing the assessment, to enable us to better understand its likely impact, by carrying out around 900 sample assessments over the summer. Our aim is to provide a further draft of the assessment criteria and regulations in the autumn, building on the testing and the feedback from disability organisations.

Disability Living Allowance: Diseases

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the waiting time for patients with sickle cell disease who have been refused disability living allowance for cases before an appeal tribunal against the decision.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
	The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) does not record disability living allowance (DLA) appeals by specific disability and cannot, therefore, provide the waiting time for patients with sickle cell disease. However, it is possible to provide the average time taken from submission of a disability living allowance appeal to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) until the date of the first appeal hearing at Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
	The information in the following table covers April 2011, the latest period for which figures are available:
	
		
			 Disability living allowance waiting times 
			  Weeks 
			 Average time in weeks from submission to DWP to receipt at HMCTS(1) 6.88 
			 Average time in weeks from receipt at HMCTS to first hearing 24.37 
			 (1) The data regarding the time from when an appeal is submitted to the DWP until it is received by HMCTS is taken from HMCTS' database and relies on the date of submission provided by DWP. The Tribunal does not measure the time from receipt at DWP to receipt at HMCTS and the average has been calculated by subtracting the time from receipt at HMCTS to first hearing from the total average time. 
		
	
	Longer than usual waiting times for a hearing result from unexpectedly high level of appeals across DWP. In response, HMCTS has increased its capacity significantly and, nationally, published management information shows that 38% more SSCS appeals were cleared in April 2011 compared to April 2010 (and 65% more when compared with April 2009). Further capacity increases are in hand.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Work programme in placing disabled people into employment.

Chris Grayling: In order to secure contracts to deliver the Work programme, providers have put together strong supply chains with a wide range of partners from the public, private and voluntary sectors, capable between them of tailoring services to meet the full range of individual needs, including those of disabled people.
	We expect to see substantial indications of the success of the Work programme from spring 2013. A full independent evaluation has been commissioned for that year as the first participants complete their two years and I look forward to sharing the results with the House in due course. We will closely monitor the effectiveness of the Programme in the interim.

Housing Benefit: Homelessness

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the number of households likely to present as homeless in each local authority area as a consequence of the overall benefit cap in the 12 months following its introduction;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the likely costs to each local authority as a consequence of households presenting as homeless in the 12 months following the introduction of the overall benefit cap.

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the households he has calculated face homelessness as a consequence of the overall benefit cap is assumed to come from (a) social housing and (b) private tenancies; and what proportion is resident in each region.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of likely changes in the rate of homelessness in Warrington borough if the Government's plans for a benefit cap are implemented.

Chris Grayling: The benefit cap will mean that people on benefit will face choices about housing costs similar to those faced by people in work. But it will not necessarily mean that they will need to move from their home. Even within the limits of this cap, households will still be able to receive significant amounts of financial assistance from state welfare payments and if a member of the household moves into work and becomes eligible for working tax credit they will be exempt from the impacts of the cap.
	There is a range of help local authorities can offer to households at risk of becoming homeless including the provision of discretionary housing payments. We have already made an additional £190 million available over the spending review period for this purpose as a result of the changes we have made to housing benefit.
	The Government published their impact assessment of the benefit cap in February alongside the introduction of the Welfare Reform Bill. This made clear that it is not possible to estimate the number of additional homelessness applications that might arise as a consequence of the overall benefit cap because this would have to be based on behavioural changes. The impact assessment can be found via the following link:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/household-benefit-cap-wr2011-ia.pdf

Industrial Accidents

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the effects of (a) proactive workplace inspections and (b) incident inspections conducted by the Health and Safety Executive on the incidence of fatalities and serious injuries in the workplace.

Chris Grayling: No. There are additional factors beyond the inspections and investigations undertaken by HSE which influence the incidence of fatalities and serious injuries in the workplace; most notably the behaviour of employers and employees.

Industrial Accidents

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of fatalities and major injuries recorded under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 in each of the last five years (a) were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive, (b) resulted in an enforcement notice, (c) resulted in a prosecution and (d) resulted in any other enforcement activity.

Chris Grayling: Information on the numbers of fatalities and major injuries recorded under RIDDOR 1995 in each of the last five years, and oh the numbers investigated by HSE, which resulted in formal enforcement, is provided in the following two tables.
	
		
			 Table 1: Fatalities 
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			  No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % 
			 Fatalities reported to all enforcing authorities i.e. to HSE, ORR and local authorities 618 — 662 — 604 — 605 — 537 — 
			 Number which are HSE-enforced fatalities 255 — 282 — 267 — 235 — 170 — 
			 Number of HSE-enforced fatalities investigated (% of total HSE-enforced fatalities) 255 100 282 100 267 100 235 100 170 100 
			 Number of HSE-enforced fatalities resulting in prosecution (% of total HSE-enforced fatalities investigated) 94 37 107 38 103 39 66 28 32 19 
			 Number of HSE-enforced fatalities resulting in an enforcement notice (% of total HSE-enforced fatalities investigated) 50 20 68 24 72 27 79 34 51 30 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Major injuries 
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10  (1) 
			  No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % 
			 Major injuries reported to all enforcing authorities 46,085 — 47,511 — 47,933 — 52,547 — 53,004 — 
			 Number which are HSE-enforced major injuries 31,147 — 32,736 — 32,809 — 36,284 — 34,963 — 
			 Number of HSE-enforced major injuries investigated (% of total HSE-enforced major injuries) 2,562 8 2,557 8 2,478 8 1,890 5 1,867 5 
			 Number of HSE-enforced major injuries resulting in prosecution (% of total HSE-enforced major injuries investigated) 181 7 243 10 259 10 192 10 184 10 
			 Number of HSE-enforced major injuries resulting in an enforcement notice (% of total HSE-enforced major injuries investigated) 194 8 291 11 369 15 298 16 323 17 
			 (1) Provisional. 
		
	
	The information in Tables 1 and 2 is current as at 4 July 2011 and relates to fatalities and major injuries to both workers and members of the public. It includes both investigations which have been completed and those which are ongoing. Ongoing investigations may result in further enforcement action being taken, particularly for incidents which occurred in the most recent years. An investigation can result in both the issue of a notice and prosecution.
	Major injury figures for 2009-10 are provisional and finalised figures will be available in November 2011.
	Information on fatalities and major injuries resulting in other enforcement activities (e.g. a letter) can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Industrial Health and Safety

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the proportionate implementation of the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 by (a) the Health and Safety Executive and (b) local authority inspectors.

Chris Grayling: Health and Safety law should protect people at work but in a common sense way, without needless bureaucracy. The Health and Safety Executive enforces the law proportionately, by targeting those areas which represent the greatest risks to people at work and those who operate outside the law, in accordance with its enforcement policy statement. Local authorities should follow the same principles when taking enforcement decisions.

Industrial Health and Safety

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the cost to the Health and Safety Executive of implementing the recommendations relating to it contained in Common Sense, Common Safety.

Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) 2010 spending review settlement for the period 2011-12 to 2014-15 takes account of the resources HSE needs to implement the recommendations in ‘Common Sense, Common Safety’ that it leads on.

Industrial Health and Safety

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the implications for local authority sub-contracting of health and safety inspections of the recommendations relating to combining food safety and health and safety contained in Common Sense, Common Safety.

Chris Grayling: The guidance on combined food hygiene and health and safety inspections was jointly prepared by Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Food Standards Agency (FSA) and local government representative bodies. It implemented the recommendation arising from ‘Common Sense, Common Safety’ and advised all local authorities (LAs) undertaking health and safety or food hygiene inspections that they should combine these inspections where appropriate.
	Some LAs use contractors to undertake food safety and health and safety inspections, in such cases the LA itself retains the overall management and enforcement responsibility. The guidance to combine inspections should be considered when the LA plans and directs their inspection resources, whether they use contractors or LA officers.
	While health and safety is a reserved matter, food safety is devolved such that the guidance only applies in England but is made available to LAs in Scotland and Wales should they wish to follow similar principles.

Social Security Benefits

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the (a) number of households and (b) households as a proportion of the working-age-out-of-work benefit caseload who will be affected by the introduction of his proposed overall benefit cap in each region.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available as sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for areas smaller than the overall impacts for Great Britain.
	However, as we have stated in our impact assessment, if the benefit cap were applied in full we estimate that around 50,000 households in Great Britain will have their benefits reduced by the policy—this is roughly 1% of the out-of-work benefit caseload. Households whose benefit is reduced as a result of the cap on total benefit income will lose on average around £93 per week.

Social Security Benefits

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the (a) number of households in London whose total welfare benefits income exceeds the average take-home earnings of London working households and (b) proportion of such households represent of the working-age-out-of-work benefit caseload in London.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available as sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results on the number of households in London whose total welfare benefits income exceeds the average take-home earnings of London working households.

Work Capability Assessment: Autism

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made on the possibility of allowing people with autistic spectrum disorders to bring a carer or advocate to assessments where they wish to do so.

Maria Miller: Individuals claiming employment and support allowance will undergo a work capability assessment (WCA). Everyone who attends a face to face assessment as part of this process, including those with autistic spectrum disorders, is encouraged to bring a relative, carer or advocate with them to their assessment.
	Following the Independent Review of the WCA by Professor Harrington we have made improvements so that claimants better understand the process, including their right to bring someone with them to an assessment. Atos Healthcare have also published a Customer Charter which encourages individuals to
	“bring a relative, carer or friend along to the assessment if you would find it helpful.”
	The claims and assessment processes for personal independence payment are still being developed and we intend to follow a similar process, learning from the Harrington Review findings. Individuals will be able and encouraged to bring a relative, friend, carer or advocate with them for their face-to-face consultations as part of the assessment for the benefit.

Military Decorations

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects of the 2006 decision to allow eligible veterans to receive the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal but not to allow it to be worn; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: An ongoing review of the rules governing the award of medals is considering the principles which underpin these rules. In doing so, appropriate consideration will be given to how the rules have been applied to past decisions on medals, including the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal. We are currently considering the views of a number of campaign groups, including the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Veterans Association.

Chief Coroner

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what evidence his Department holds on the financial effects on his Department in each of the next five years of appointing a Chief Coroner with the functions provided for by the Coroner and Justice Act 2009;
	(2)  whether his Department has carried out (a) a cost-benefit analysis and (b) an impact assessment in relation to the introduction of a Chief Coroner, with the functions provided for by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

Andrew Robathan: We hold no evidence on the financial effects of the Chief Coroner on the Ministry of Defence and have not carried out a cost benefit analysis or impact assessment as the cost of establishing a Chief Coroner would fall to the Ministry of Justice. An impact assessment for Part One of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 was published by the Ministry of Justice in December 2008 and summarised the full costs and benefits of implementing the coroners provisions in the act.

Departmental Manpower

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) support staff in each role in theatre and (b) other civilian staff were employed by his Department on the latest date for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: The latest figure for Ministry of Defence civilian staff currently deployed in theatre is 1,172; of these 989 are locally employed civilians (LECs) and 183 are in support of Operation Herrick in Afghanistan. These are broken down as follows, with figures for 2010 shown for comparison:
	
		
			  Staff numbers 
			 Role 2010 2011 
			 Civil Secretary 1 1 
			 Deputy Civil Secretary 2 2 
			 Policy Adviser 7 3 
			 Defence Adviser 8 10 
			 Commercial Officer 6 5 
			 Finance Officer 9 8 
			 Media Adviser 1 2 
			 Operational Analyst 6 11 
			 Scientific Adviser 4 4 
			 Fire Officer 1 1 
			 Ministry of Defence Police 20 24 
			 Area Claims Officer 2 1 
			 NHS Nurse 2 0 
			 Archivist 2 0 
			 Graphics Officer 1 1 
			 Defence Estates Project Manager 4 3 
			 Defence Support (DSG) 30 92 
			 Locally Employed Civilians (LECs) 850 989 
			 Supply Chain Staff n/a 14 
			 Deployments Manager n/a 1 
			 Total UK civil servants 106 183 
		
	
	The total number of civilian staff employed by the MOD in April 2011 including LECs and those listed above was 87,060 (83,060 full-time equivalent) compared to 89,970 (85,590 full-time equivalent) in 2010.

Merlin Helicopters

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what recent progress his Department has made on the Merlin upgrade programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the costs of the Merlin upgrade programme;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of how many Merlin helicopters will be upgraded as part of the Merlin upgrade programme.

Peter Luff: The Merlin capability sustainment programme, which aims to sustain the Merlin Mk1 capability to 2029, remains on track and is currently in the demonstration and manufacture phase. The expected cost of this programme is £843 million. This programme will deliver 30 MK2 standard aircraft.
	The Merlin Mk3/3a Life Sustainment Programme is still being developed: the content, value and time-scales cannot be confirmed until the main investment decision is made.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The Royal Fleet Auxiliary will continue to operate a fleet of supply and support vessels scaled to meet the Navy's requirements. We are taking forward the findings of the value for money review of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary which were announced in the debate by the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), on 6 December 2010,
	Official Report
	, columns 137-46. Under the military afloat reach and sustainability programme we plan to begin replacing the existing single-hulled tankers and solid support ships with new ships later this decade.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made a response to each of the questions raised in Chapter 5, Moral and Ethical Issues, in the Joint Doctrine Note 2/11 The UK Approach to Unmanned Aircraft Systems of 30 March 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence operates to the highest legal, moral and ethical standards. Joint Doctrine Note 2/11 (JDN 2/11) recognises that we must continue to observe these high standards when employing new technology, including Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), to achieve our defence objectives.
	As stated in its preface, JDN 2/11 seeks to consider how UAS may contribute to the UK's future defence and security needs. Its purpose is to identify the issues that should be addressed if such systems are to be successfully developed and integrated into future operations. It does not describe agreed policy but rather seeks to energise debate within the UK to inform policy development; the Ministry of Defence welcomes and encourages that debate and the opportunity to contribute fully to it.

Council Tax: Exemptions

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will examine rules on council tax exemption under which new owners cannot apply for exemption on unoccupied and unfurnished properties if the same property was exempt under previous ownership.

Bob Neill: The council tax exemption for unoccupied, and unfurnished properties applies to the property not the owner. However, local authorities can set a discount on such property between 50% and 0% in the circumstances set out in the question.

Council Tax: Overpayments

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what interest rate the Valuation Office Agency has used for the calculation of compound interest foregone through the overpayment of council tax in each of the last 20 years; and what factors determined the rate set in each case;
	(2)  what the policy is of the Valuation Office Agency on compensation payments made in lieu of lost interest on overpaid council tax; on what date that policy was adopted; and whom the Agency consulted on the change from the previous policy.

Bob Neill: Local authorities are responsible for paying (a) overpayments of council tax. There is no legal provision for (b) interest lost due to overpayment to be paid by the Valuation Office Agency.
	The Valuation Office will consider making an ex gratia payment in cases where it has caused a serious error or delay in reviewing the council tax band of a property.
	Since January 2011 the Valuation Office Agency's policy has changed and it no longer makes payments in lieu of lost interest.
	The following table shows the interest rates the Valuation Office Agency used, prior to January 2011, in the calculation of payments in lieu of lost interest since council tax was introduced. The level of interest is based on levels used by billing authorities in the calculations used for non-domestic rates refunds.
	
		
			  Interest rate (percentage) 
			 1993-94 5.00 
			 1994-95 4.25 
			 1995-96 5.75 
			 1996-97 5.00 
			 1997-98 5.00 
			 1998-99 6.25 
			 1999-2000 4.50 
		
	
	
		
			 2000-01 5.00 
			 2001-02 4.75 
			 2002-03 3.00 
			 2003-04 2.75 
			 2004-05 3.00 
			 2005-06 3.75 
			 2006-07 3.50 ¦ 
			 2007-08 4.25 
			 2008-09 4.25 
			 2009-10 0 
			 2010-11 0

Government Procurement Card

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by his Department using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08.

Bob Neill: The details of Government Procurement Card transactions for (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2008-09 have been deposited in the Library of the House. This includes (a) date of purchase, (b) amount and (c) supplier. Level 3 (d) or enhanced transaction details are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Each transaction does have a merchant category which is a broad description of the type of goods purchased.
	My Department is committed to greater transparency over the use of the Government Procurement Card than under the last Administration, and has strengthened checks and balances to ensure protection of taxpayers' money.

Green Belt

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department has any plans to alter planning rules for development in green belt land.

Bob Neill: The coalition agreement commits the Government to maintaining green belt protection. The green belt has a valuable role in stopping urban sprawl and providing a green lung around towns and cities. National policy on green belt protection—currently explained in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2, ‘Green Belts’—will be updated as part of the National Planning Policy Framework. We will consult on the Framework shortly. However, through the Localism Bill we will be abolishing regional strategies. This will remove 'top down' pressure to weaken green belt protection. Our revision to planning guidance on travellers, currently out to consultation, also looks to strengthen protection of the green belt.

Housing: Construction

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the number of apprenticeships to be created by his new homes programme if contractors developing such homes were required to take on one apprentice for every £1 million worth of construction undertaken.

Grant Shapps: It would not be appropriate to make an estimate on this basis. No national target has been set for apprenticeships; nor have Government prescribed a particular approach. Top down targets create additional burdens and bureaucracy on business.
	Experience shows that delivery partners with a positive delivery record on employment and skills have developed a variety of approaches that work according to local circumstances.

Private Rented Housing

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to support families with children in accessing the private rented sector.

Andrew Stunell: Figures drawn from the most recent English Housing Survey (published on 5 July 2011), show that 30% of households in the private rented sector are families with dependent children. This compares with 32% in the social rented sector and 27% of owner occupiers. These percentages suggest that the private rented sector already performs an important role in housing families. The Government have sought to ensure that continues to be the case by minimising burdens on the sector which might inhibit its growth while underlining our commitment to ensuring that the existing legislative framework continues to offer proper protections to those with privately rented homes.
	Where a family is unable to find accommodation in their area, they can go for help to their local authority who will be able to offer support and, where they are found to be unintentionally homeless, will be under a duty to find them suitable accommodation.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role local domestic and sexual abuse co-ordinators will play in the implementation of the Government's strategy on violence against women and children.

Lynne Featherstone: Local Domestic and Sexual Abuse Co-ordinators provide an important local strategic lead on this issue, linking statutory and voluntary partner agencies and promoting and improving multi-agency approaches to tackling sexual and domestic violence.

Fixed Penalties

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued for (a) noise, (b) seat belt, (c) obstruction, waiting and parking, (d) speed limit and (e) hand held use of mobile telephones offences in each police authority area in each of the last three years.

Nick Herbert: Available data from 2007 to 2009 (latest published data) are provided in the following tables.
	Data for 2010 are scheduled for publication in April 2012.
	
		
			 Number of substantive fixed penalty notices issued for various offences, by police force area, England and Wales 2007-09 
			  Offence description 
			  Noise offences Seat belt offences Speed limit offences 
			 Police force area 2007 2008 2009 2007 2008 2009 2007 2008 2009 
			 Avon and Somerset 30 57 64 2,544 1,928 1,919 57,746 53,069 54,165 
			 Bedfordshire 10 27 10 3,759 3,187 1,895 30,029 19,884 14,289 
			 Cambridgeshire 53 25 18 4,341 4,382 3,186 25,371 22,548 14,401 
			 Cheshire 24 29 66 4,229 4,382 4,174 26,992 23,032 21,043 
			 Cleveland 10 7 8 2,234 1,896 2,180 13,951 11,017 8,687 
			 Cumbria 32 62 36 2,905 2,165 2,296 29,096 30,774 20,366 
			 Derbyshire 11 7 17 4,283 6,314 2,170 22,389 16,652 10,756 
			 Devon and Cornwall 127 81 233 3,694 3,404 3,567 62,549 49,234 39,426 
			 Dorset 15 19 14 1,575 1,560 2,368 36,900 26,086 23,050 
			 Durham 13 7 6 1,400 1,427 1,485 3,138 3,531 3,359 
			 Essex 109 95 99 14,723 15,741 15,746 44,796 25,956 30,423 
			 Gloucestershire 9 3 6 1,244 1,149 1,549 9,380 7,547 4,339 
			 Greater Manchester 19 46 243 18,357 19,918 15,699 42,609 37,330 41,817 
			 Hampshire 44 53 73 9,013 8,590 4,781 49,324 36,719 29,460 
			 Hertfordshire 18 12 7 5,513 3,975 3,431 41,593 34,945 29,724 
			 Humberside 31 30 26 3,597 3,792 1,694 34,184 21,993 24,749 
			 Kent 39 72 152 3,312 3,310 5,318 51,438 25,208 25,868 
			 Lancashire 29 19 96 4,442 5,760 8,100 55,167 41,678 34,710 
			 Leicestershire 12 5 4 1,212 1,187 1,202 20,634 15,506 12,899 
			 Lincolnshire 34 37 25 5,146 3,992 2,321 24,849 26,834 18,619 
			 London, City of 4 1 5 306 417 637 2,785 3,082 1,590 
			 Merseyside 23 33 48 14,142 13,333 12,982 26,601 34,894 34,983 
			 Metropolitan Police 108 116 91 14,303 15,291 16,594 73,738 94,955 44,197 
			 Norfolk 21 41 32 1,913 2,114 3,044 24,878 20,359 28,474 
		
	
	
		
			 North Yorkshire 202 77 170 7,532 6,215 4,309 7,748 7,779 8,425 
			 Northamptonshire 13 5 2 1,217 1,347 1,629 49,833 14,716 11,585 
			 Northumbria 34 29 66 4,476 3,173 1,895 38,504 39,410 22,345 
			 Nottinghamshire 13 8 17 2,849 3,735 2,642 34,750 32,975 30,906 
			 South Yorkshire 18 11 20 7,872 6,734 7,465 37,911 8,014 10,526 
			 Staffordshire 18 17 224 4,073 2,870 3,141 31,547 35,269 35,027 
			 Suffolk 75 137 11 4,556 5,846 2,694 30,378 34,678 42,055 
			 Surrey 5 16 16 3,400 2,835 2,213 28,941 27,366 26,401 
			 Sussex(1) 18 14 22 6,441 5,953 5,288 46,832 37,632 29,710 
			 Thames Valley 44 44 32 13,472 13,728 12,408 54,385 53,909 57,781 
			 Warwickshire 10 11 12 1,079 1,080 1,421 27,468 18,794 32,213 
			 West Mercia 124 106 134 6,443 4,558 3,693 54,975 52,109 39,871 
			 West Midlands 41 37 35 6,042 8,678 8,056 45,357 34,620 40,789 
			 West Yorkshire 21 32 28 6,995 7,631 8,675 41,386 37,177 23,612 
			 Wiltshire 13 20 27 2,062 2,269 1,697 36,959 30,338 51,992 
			 England 1,474 1,448 2,195 206,696 205,866 185,564 1,377,111 1,147,619 1,034,632 
			           
			 Dyfed-Powys 14 12 33 1,764 1,462 1,528 10,842 10,746 10,758 
			 Gwent 25 31 37 2,384 2,876 2,709 27,457 10,874 14,625 
			 North Wales 55 80 68 6,723 9,014 9,030 42,537 29,327 27,648 
			 South Wales 27 35 43 2,567 4,744 4,534 40,426 48,453 48,359 
			 Wales 121 158 181 13,438 18,096 17,801 121,262 99,400 101,390 
			           
			 England and Wales 1,595 1,606 2,376 220,134 226,962 203,365 1,473,823 1,247,019 1,136,022 
			           
		
	
	
		
			  Offence description 
			  Obstruction, waiting and parking offences Use of hand-held mobile phone while driving 
			 Police force area 2007 2008 2009 2007 2008 2009 
			 Avon and Somerset 12,839 10,379 9,291 1,965 2,013 2,094 
			 Bedfordshire 795 1,042 635 1,383 1,274 1,249 
			 Cambridgeshire 7,198 6,850 4,795 2,189 2,487 1,964 
			 Cheshire 13,891 6,576 2,844 4,055 3,270 3,776 
			 Cleveland 1,091 557 566 1,495 1,151 1,420 
			 Cumbria 525 510 542 978 754 1,081 
			 Derbyshire 4,191 4,172 486 1,921 2,082 1,480 
			 Devon and Cornwall 31,596 9,428 1,738 2,167 2,245 2,860 
			 Dorset 359 294 265 1,924 1,489 1,475 
			 Durham 6,129 4,366 3,222 1,075 933 953 
			 Essex 3,732 2,709 2,310 5,006 6,553 7,971 
			 Gloucestershire 12,133 1,054 880 963 800 1,183 
			 Greater Manchester 3,831 2,854 3,361 8,477 6,274 6,123 
			 Hampshire 4,347 3,006 2,233 5,290 5,152 4,037 
			 Hertfordshire 1,901 2,236 1,701 2,720 3,637 3,793 
			 Humberside 12,597 8,235 7,985 2,417 2,489 2,672 
			 Kent 813 630 849 3,256 3,208 4,597 
			 Lancashire 1,624 2,259 2,398 2,886 3,613 4,827 
			 Leicestershire 4,057 1,519 1,643 1,073 1,071 1,752 
			 Lincolnshire 11,648 11,260 13,876 2,043 2,109 1,626 
			 London, City of 246 266 209 490 551 499 
			 Merseyside 19,232 23,108 18,389 4,547 5,506 6,563 
			 Metropolitan Police 23,018 15,493 11,582 11,399 8,537 7,383 
			 Norfolk 6,283 5,538 6,721 1,196 1,816 2,350 
			 North Yorkshire 5,783 3,693 2,647 2,647 2,333 2,273 
			 Northamptonshire 2,548 1,996 2,403 760 973 1,543 
			 Northumbria 12,905 8,366 6,676 2,701 2,056 2,280 
			 Nottinghamshire 6,425 1,295 492 2,563 2,045 2,178 
			 South Yorkshire 1,544 1,353 1,363 4,217 3,304 3,403 
			 Staffordshire 10,362 3,255 6,165 1,872 1,148 1,747 
		
	
	
		
			 Suffolk 7,009 7,760 1,409 2,733 2,607 795 
			 Surrey 2,198 1,062 1,377 2,781 2,939 2,605 
			 Sussex(1) 34,428 23,335 20,128 2,683 0 3,623 
			 Thames Valley 19,320 15,939 10,493 4,814 5,838 5,629 
			 Warwickshire 7,203 3,210 2,196 1,481 1,487 1,875 
			 West Mercia 3,147 2,022 1,544 3,900 4,314 3,408 
			 West Midlands 20,355 16,968 12,720 5,340 5,373 6,112 
			 West Yorkshire 16,186 12,252 10,726 4,962 4,041 4,708 
			 Wiltshire 1,217 513 403 1,037 1,175 1,256 
			 England 334,706 227,360 179,263 115,406 108,647 117,163 
			        
			 Dyfed-Powys 10,377 11,268 9,711 858 832 1,196 
			 Gwent 17,467 16,760 13,466 1,160 1,174 1,265 
			 North Wales 4,971 2,434 1,516 2,510 2,471 2,757 
			 South Wales 79,298 73,980 60,146 2,122 2,802 3,135 
			 Wales 112,113 104,442 84,839 6,650 7,279 8,353 
			        
			 England and Wales 446,824 331,802 264,102 122,056 115,926 125,516 
			 (1) Figure for mobile phone FPNs for 2008 to be reviewed.

Offenders: Foreign Nationals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) asylum seekers and (b) other foreign nationals who have applied for leave to remain were convicted of a criminal offence committed in the UK while their application was pending in each of the last five years; and how many such people were returned to their country of origin following offences committed while their immigration applications were pending.

Damian Green: The following table shows the published figures for number of foreign nationals removed or deported from the UK. Please note that the data for 2006 is not considered to be reliable for publication.
	
		
			  Number of foreign nationals removed or deported from the UK. 
			 2007 4,200 
			 2008 5,400 
			 2009 5,530 
			 2010 5,235 
		
	
	It is not possible to identify from management information systems those who had an application for leave pending at the time they committed a criminal offence. In order to gather this information, the UK Border Agency would have to go through the individual records, which would incur disproportionate cost. However, any applications for leave are considered fully at the same time that deportation is considered prior to an individual’s removal form the UK.

Victim Support Schemes: Finance

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to encourage local authorities to provide funding for domestic and sexual violence and abuse services.

Lynne Featherstone: As the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), made clear in her speech to Women’s Aid in July 2010—local authorities must not see this sector as an “easy cut” when making difficult decisions. The Home Office has made available £28 million funding over four years for specialist services for domestic and sexual violence victims and has encouraged local areas to provide match funding for each of these funding streams.
	The Department is also working with other Departments and the voluntary sector to identify and disseminate best practice in local commissioning to ensure local authorities give this the priority it deserves.

Access to Work Programme

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many disabled people are being supported in employment in his Department under its access to work programme.

Crispin Blunt: Figures on the number of reasonable adjustments made for disabled staff to remove barriers and enable them to participate in the workplace as equally as non-disabled colleagues, are not held centrally as many such adjustments are arranged locally between the line manager and the member of staff. The types of adjustment provided range from more frequent work breaks, adjustments to working hours to enable travel outside peaks times, to specialist equipment, adaptations to the work environment, and support workers. Guidance on supporting disabled staff is available for staff and managers and the Ministry is currently running an internal publicity campaign “supporting disability in the workplace” to raise awareness to staff and managers of the support and guidance available.

Bail

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many defendants released on bail committed offences whilst awaiting trial in each year since 2001.

Crispin Blunt: The table shows, for the years 2001 to 2010, the number of defendants recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC) in England and Wales as having received at least one conviction, caution, reprimand or warning during the year, and the number of these who were recorded as having committed at least one offence while on bail during the year.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the PNC, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. In particular the recording of information on whether or not the offence was committed while the offender was on bail is known to be incomplete. This is because the police have available to them a number of ways of recording the bail status of an offender of which the ‘offence committed on bail’ field on the PNC is one. For operational purposes forces make differing use of these various sources and as a result figures derived purely from the PNC do not provide a complete picture of these offences; changes over time in these data may not represent real changes in offending while on bail.
	
		
			 Offenders who received a caution, reprimand, warning or conviction, as recorded on the Police National Computer and number who committed offences while on bail, 2001-10, England and Wales 
			 Number of offenders and percentages 
			   Offenders committing offences while on bail 
			  Total number of offenders who received a caution, reprimand, warning or conviction Number Percentage 
			 2001 639,272 51,759 8.1 
			 2002 657,464 55,188 8.4 
			 2003 685,710 56,545 8.2 
			 2004 691,904 54,963 7.9 
			 2005 723,663 59,926 8.3 
			 2006 763,164 65,973 8.6 
			 2007 785,729 75,105 9.6 
			 2008 755,083 73,359 9.7 
			 2009 718,494 72,030 10.0 
			 2010 671,029 70,496 10.5

Drug Interventions Programme

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were registered with the Drug Interventions Programme in the last six months for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply.
	The Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) is a crime reduction approach which local partners use to identify, assess and manage drug misusing offenders in order to help them address their drug misuse and reduce drug related offending. Individuals do not register with DIP. Over the latest six months for which data is available (November 2010-April 2011), 30,730 assessments were carried out under the Drug Interventions Programme on 23,391 individuals.

Drug Interventions Programme

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of (a) homeless people and (b) people with no fixed address registered with the Drug Interventions Programme in the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply.
	The Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) is a crime reduction approach which local areas use to identify, assess and manage drug misusing offenders in order to help them address their drug misuse and reduce drug related offending.
	Information on individuals' housing needs are collected as part of the DIP assessment of needs.
	Over the latest 12 months for which data is available (May 2010-April 2011), 62,490 assessments were carried out and 61,677 (99%) had an accommodation status recorded, as follows:
	
		
			  Number Percentage 
			 No fixed abode 4,598 7.5 
			 Temporary 10,623 17.2 
			 Settled 46,456 75.35

Prisoners' Release: Re-offenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offences were committed by people who were released on (a) police and (b) court bail in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The table shows, for the years 2008 to 2010, the number of offences recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC) in England and Wales that resulted in a conviction, caution, reprimand or warning and the number of these that were recorded as being committed while the offender was on bail. The data does not enable us to distinguish between police bail and court bail.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the PNC, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. In particular the recording of information on whether or not the offence was committed while the offender was on bail is known to be incomplete. This is because the police have available to them a number of ways of recording the bail status of an offender of which the ‘offence committed on bail’ field on the PNC is one. For operational purposes forces make differing use of these various sources and as a result figures derived purely from the PNC do not provide a complete picture of these offences; changes over time in these data may not represent real changes in offending while on bail.
	
		
			 Offences resulting in a caution, reprimand, final warning or conviction, as recorded on the Police National Computer and offences committed on bail 2008-10, England and Wales 
			 Number of offences and percentages 
			   Offences committed on bail 
			  Total number of offences Number Percentage 
			 2008 1,518,845 153,688 10.1 
			 2009 1,426,082 146,681 10.3 
			 2010 1,329,343 142,537 10.7

Prisons: Employment

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2011, Official Report, columns 1023-24W, on prisons: employment, whether he has plans to increase the number of prisoners per day working in the National Offender Management Service public sector prison industries who are engaged in land-based activities on farms in East Anglia.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service operates one farm in East Anglia, at HM Prison North Sea Camp, although there are a number of other prisons in the area that provide land based activities for prisoners on a smaller scale.
	As set out in the recent Green Paper, “Breaking the Cycle Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders” we are currently reviewing the opportunities for increasing the numbers of prisoners that experience the discipline of regular working hours across all sectors including land based activities. We are also looking to further develop the skills needed by prisoners to gain employment on release from prison. For the farm at HM Prison North Sea camp this includes the possibility of working with a private sector partner to achieve this.

Prisons: Employment

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what milestones he has set for his plans to enable more prisoners to work; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: We will publish further details of our implementation strategy in relation to the Green Paper, “Breaking the Cycle Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders” this autumn.

Tribunals: Autism

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many parents of autistic children went to a tribunal to challenge the support provided to their child in school in the last year for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The number of appeals made by parents of autistic children to the First-tier Tribunal—Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) in 2009-10, the latest year for which figures are available, was 1,019 out of a total of 3,280 registered appeals(1). Further information on the number and type of appeals made to SEND is available within the Tribunal's annual report at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/corporate-reports/tribunals/send.htm
	(1) These data are taken from the 2009-10 Annual Report and represents management information recorded on an academic year basis (September 2009 to August 2010).

Youth Services

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the change in his Department's funding of youth services in (a) Manchester Central constituency and (b) England in 2011-12.

Tim Loughton: The Department's funding for youth services for 2011-12 is included in the Early Intervention Grant (EIG). The EIG allocation for Manchester local authority has changed from £34.25 million in 2010-11 to £29.97 million in 2011-12, a reduction of around 12.5%, and is reduced by 10.5% for England as a whole. Money for youth services is not ring fenced within the EIG and decisions on funding levels to youth services are for local authorities.

Curriculum

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on the breadth of the curriculum.

Nick Gibb: We are currently reviewing the National Curriculum. As part of that review, we have carried out a Call for Evidence which attracted nearly 5,800 responses, including many which raised issues about the breadth of the curriculum.
	The National Curriculum sets out the curriculum which all maintained schools must teach but it is only part of the wider curriculum which is determined by schools themselves. All schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum.

Children: Protection

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many serious case reviews were carried out by each local authority (a) in each year between 1999 and 2010 and (b) in 2011 to date.

Tim Loughton: Ofsted assumed responsibility for the inspection of children's social care and local authorities became responsible for notifying Ofsted of serious incidents involving children from 1 April 2007. Data on the numbers of serious case reviews (SCRs) initiated following the notification of a serious incident relating to the death or serious injury of a child where abuse and neglect was known or suspected to be a factor is therefore available from 1 April 2007. The table with these figures broken down by each local authority has been placed in the House Libraries.
	It is the responsibility of LSCBs to decide whether to initiate SCRs, in line with regulations and statutory guidance.
	Decisions taken by LSCBs on whether the criteria to undertake SCRs have been met are normally taken within one month of a case coming to the attention of the LSCB chair. However, in practice decisions may take longer and may be revisited in light of additional information, such as new medical evidence or the outcome of a coroner's inquest, which may subsequently become available. Therefore, there may be variations in the data included in this table over time.
	The Munro Review of child protection has recommended how to strengthen the SCR process to enable lessons to be learnt more effectively and the Government will respond by the summer.
	The figures in the table include data provided for earlier parliamentary answers. For the year 2007-08, I refer the hon. Member to the data published in a previous reply issued on 23 February 2009, Official Report, column 442W. For the year 2008-09, data referring to SCRs initiated following the notification to Ofsted of a death of a child where abuse and neglect was known or suspected to be a factor was published on 22 October 2009, Official Report, column 1664W. Data collected at the same time for SCRs initiated following the notification to Ofsted of a serious injury of a child where abuse and neglect was known or suspected to be a factor has been added to these published figures to get a total of all SCRs in that period. Figures for the years 2009-2010 and 2010-11 have not yet been published. It is not possible to provide figures from April 2011 to the current date because many of the decisions about whether to initiate a SCR will still be outstanding and the figures would therefore not be reliable.
	Data are not available in this form prior to 1 April 2007. The Department has however commissioned five biennial analyses of SCRs to help ensure lessons are clearly identified and disseminated. These publications include data on how many SCRs were included in each study. Links to these research reports are:
	Building on the learning from serious case reviews: A two-year analysis of child protection database notifications 2007-09
	https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/DFE-RR040
	Understanding serious case reviews and their impact—a biennial analysis of serious case reviews 2005-07
	https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/DCSF-RR129
	Analysing Child Deaths and Serious Injury through Abuse: What can we Learn? A Biennial Analysis of Serious Case Reviews 2003-05
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/RRP/u014591/index.shtml
	Improving Safeguarding Practice—Study of Serious Case Reviews 2001-03
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/RRP/u014711/index.shtml
	Learning from Past Experience—A Review of Serious Case Reviews
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4003094

Children: Protection

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many serious case reviews were carried out in each year from 2005 to 2010.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 20 June 2011
	Ofsted assumed responsibility for the inspection of children's social care and local authorities became responsible for notifying Ofsted of serious incidents involving children from 1 April 2007. Data on the numbers of serious case reviews (SCRs) initiated following the notification of a serious incident relating to the death or serious injury of a child where abuse and neglect was known or suspected to be a factor is therefore available from 1 April 2007. These figures are set out in the following table.
	It is the responsibility of LSCBs to decide whether to initiate SCRs, in line with regulations and statutory guidance.
	Decisions taken by LSCBs on whether the criteria to undertake SCRs have been met are normally taken within one month of a case coming to the attention of the LSCB chair. However, in practice decisions may take longer and may be revisited in light of additional information, such as new medical evidence or the outcome of a coroner's inquest, which may subsequently become available. Therefore, there may be variations in the data included in this table over time.
	The Munro review of child protection has recommended how to strengthen the SCR process to enable lessons to be learnt more effectively and the Government will respond by the summer.
	The figures in the table include data provided for earlier parliamentary answers. For the year 2007-08, I refer the right hon. Member to the data published in a previous reply issued on 23 February 2009, Official Report, column 442W. For the year 2008-09, data referring to SCRs initiated following the notification to Ofsted of a death of a child where abuse and neglect was known or suspected to be a factor was published on 22 October 2009, Official Report, column 1664W. Data collected at the same time for SCRs initiated following the notification to Ofsted of a serious injury of a child where abuse and neglect was known or suspected to be a factor has been added to these published figures to get a total of all SCRs in that period. Figures for 2009-10 have not yet been published.
	Data are not available in this form prior to 1 April 2007. The Department has however commissioned five biennial analyses of SCRs to help ensure lessons are clearly identified and disseminated. These publications include data on how many SCRs were included in each study. A link to the research report for the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2007 is:
	https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/DCSF-RR129
	Understanding serious case reviews and their impact—a biennial analysis of serious case reviews 2005-07.
	
		
			 Number of SCRs initiated, as a result of a serious incident relating to the death or serious injury of a child notified to Ofsted between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2011 
			  Number 
			 Number of SCRs initiated as a result of a serious incident relating to the death or serious injury of a child notified to Ofsted between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008(1) 149 
			 Number of SCRs initiated as a result of a serious incident relating to the death or serious injury of a child notified to Ofsted between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009 (At the time there were three further cases awaiting a decision)(2) 132 
			 Number of SCRs initiated as a result of a serious incident relating to the death or serious injury of a child notified to Ofsted between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010(3) 124 
			 (1 )Source—Data from reply issued 23 February 2009, Official Report, column 442W. (2) Source—Data for child death element from PQ published on 22 October 2009, Official Report, column 1664W, with information on serious injury added from figures collected at same time. (3) Includes information available to DFE as at 30 June 2011

Departmental Responsibilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions a request for a meeting by an hon. Member of each political party has been refused by (a) a Minister in his Department directly and (b) his Department on behalf of a Minister since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: It is always the wish of the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) and the rest of his ministerial team to accept any meeting request from an hon. Member, irrespective of the political party they may belong to. Regrettably, due to diary pressures and business needs it is not always possible to accommodate all meeting requests. To obtain accurate details of declined meeting requests would be at disproportionate cost.

Family Courts

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many guardian ad litems were employed by family courts in England and Wales in 2010.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not hold this information; this is an operational matter for which CAFCASS is responsible. CAFCASS’s chief executive, Anthony Douglas, has written to the hon. Member with this information. A copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Anthony Douglas, dated 7 July 2011
	I am writing to you in response to the Parliamentary Question that you tabled recently: The response applies to England only.
	The number of Family Court Advisers employed by Cafcass as at 31 December 2010 is as follows:
	Family Courts Advisers—1,110
	Self Employed Contractors—approximately 350.
	It is important to note that the family courts are not the employers of those who work as guardians ad litem and that both employed Family Court Advisers and self-employed contractors are able to be appointed by the courts to fulfil the functions of a guardian ad litem.

School Meals

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to amend statutory school food standards to align them with Government Buying Standards for food and catering services.

Sarah Teather: The Government are not proposing to amend the statutory school food standards to align them with Government buying standards for food and catering services. The school food standards are already stricter than those included in the Government buying standards.
	The Government buying standards only apply to central Government although schools and local authorities may wish to consider using them.
	The Government support the procurement of locally produced, seasonal produce from sustainable sources and have been working with a number of organisations including Pro 5, a leading procurement organisation that works with local authorities, to establish framework contracts that will help schools and local authorities to procure quality goods efficiently.

Youth Services: Finance

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the change in his Department's funding of youth services in (a) Kingston upon Hull East constituency and (b) England in 2011-12.

Tim Loughton: The Department's funding for youth services for 2011-12 and beyond is included in the early intervention grant (EIG). The EIG allocation for Kingston Upon Hull local authority has changed from £16.59 million in 2010-11 to £14.52 million in 2011-12, a reduction of around 12.5%, and is reduced by 10.5% for England as a whole. Money for youth services is not ring fenced within the EIG and decisions on funding levels for youth services are for local authorities.

Air Pollution: Death

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died as a result of conditions caused by air pollution in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: Deaths from air pollution are not recorded as a specific cause. However, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants estimated(1) on the basis of 2008 data, that fine particulate air pollution (measured as PM2.5) had an effect on the mortality of the United Kingdom population equivalent to 29,000 deaths in 2008. However, the Committee considered it very unlikely that this represents the number of individuals affected. Instead it speculated that air pollution, acting together with other factors, may have made some smaller contribution to the earlier deaths of up to 200,000 people.
	Estimates have not been made on a year-by-year basis, however, in years close to 2008 that are likely to be similar to 2008, in terms of both PM2.5 levels and population characteristics, the effect on mortality would be similar to that calculated for 2008.
	(1) The Mortality Effects of Long Term Exposure to Particulate Air Pollution in the United Kingdom:
	www.comeap.org.uk/documents/128-the-mortality-effects-of-long-term-exposure-to-particulate-air-pollution-in-the-uk.html

Allied Health Professions

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how (a) speech and language therapists and (b) allied health professionals will be involved in the development of his public health work force strategy.

Anne Milton: The Department will publish a consultation document on a public health work force strategy in the autumn. To inform this work a Public Health Workforce Strategy Working Group, chaired by a regional director of public health has been established. Members of the group include representatives from a range of health and local government organisations, including the co-Chair of the National Allied Health Professional Advisory Board. Speech and language therapists are an integral part of the allied health professions.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  by what means human papillomavirus testing for triage and test of cure will be introduced into the NHS Cervical Screening Programme; and when it will be available to all eligible women in each region;
	(2)  what the key steps will be to introduce human papillomavirus testing for triage and test of cure into the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in 2011-12;
	(3)  by what means human papillomavirus testing for triage and test of cure as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme will be funded (a) in its first year and (b) in subsequent years;
	(4)  how many human papillomavirus tests for triage and test of cure he expects will be undertaken as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13;
	(5)  what plans he has for the future of cervical cancer screening in the NHS;
	(6)  what cost savings he estimates will accrue to the NHS Cervical Screening Programme following implementation of human papillomavirus testing for triage and test of cure;
	(7)  who will be responsible for commissioning human papillomavirus testing for triage and test of cure as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme;
	(8)  when he expects human papillomavirus testing for triage and test of cure as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme to be available to all women who are eligible for it;
	(9)  when he expects the results of the human papillomavirus Sentinel Site Implementation Project to be published.

Paul Burstow: ‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’, published on 12 January, sets out how the Government will introduce human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as triage for women with mild or borderline cervical screening test results and HPV as a test of cure for treated women. The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011-12 states that commissioners should work with their local services and NHS Cancer Screening Programmes (NHS CSP) to implement HPV testing as triage for women with mild or borderline results, leading to a more patient-centred service and major cost savings.
	The current intention is that, subject to meeting certain criteria, local cervical screening programmes will implement HPV triage in 2011-12 and HPV test of cure in 2012-13. Implementing both improvements in the same year would risk the quality and safety of the current programme and put an unnecessary burden on colposcopy services.
	The Department is currently preparing advice to the national health service that will be issued shortly, alongside implementation guidance from NHS CSP. In autumn 2011, NHS Supply Chain will publish a framework agreement on the purchasing of the five HPV testing kits that are currently available. While services will not be able to implement HPV testing as triage until the framework agreement is published, they will be able to put all necessary plans in place so that, as soon as the agreement becomes available, they will be able to make decisions and place orders without delay.
	It is not possible to state the exact number of tests that will take place in 2011-12 and 2012-13. As a guide, around 200,000 women a year have mild or borderline screening test results. There are currently around 500,000 women on annual 10-year follow-up following previous treatment, but this is expected to reduce to around 100,000 a year once these women have been subject to a test of cure in 2012-13.
	Funding for implementation has been made available for 2011-12 and 2012-13 and will be managed by NHS CSP. We expect all women in England to be benefiting from HPV triage and test of cure from 2013-14, when we also expect savings of up to £16 million per year to be made from this new policy, as set out in the impact assessment we published alongside the new cancer strategy.
	Subject to the consultation on ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People’, Public Health England (PHE) will have responsibility for national elements of the cancer screening programmes. PHE will fund the NHS Commissioning Board annually to commission local elements of screening programmes on behalf of PHE.
	The results of the HPV sentinel site implementation project will be published in due course, once associated papers have appeared in peer reviewed journals.
	Regarding the future of cervical screening, the independent Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening (ACCS) is advising on the introduction of HPV Testing as Primary Screening (HPVTaPS). Working groups have been established to take forward work in three areas:
	work force requirements and supporting transition;
	protocols and algorithms for testing; and
	demonstrating the economies and benefits to women of HPVTaPS.
	The working groups are due to report to the ACCS at its meeting on 24 November 2011, where the piloting of HPVTaPS will be considered.

Diabetes: Walsall

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to the role of community pharmacies in preventing and treating diabetes within the South Asian community in Walsall South constituency.

Paul Burstow: Community pharmacies have an important role in the prevention and management of diabetes.
	The national NHS Health Check programme is a public health programme aimed at preventing diabetes, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. It has been designed so that the risk assessment and management components of the check are suitable to be undertaken in a variety of settings, including pharmacies, community centres and other sites as well as general practitioner practices to make the programme as accessible as possible to people.
	The NHS Health Check programme is for people in England aged between 40 and 74. It assesses people's risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes and supports people to reduce or manage that risk through individually tailored lifestyle advice and support, and appropriate follow up. In doing so, it will help ensure greater focus on public health and the prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and kidney disease. This programme has the potential to prevent over 4,000 people a year from developing type 2 diabetes and detect at least 20,000 case of diabetes and kidney disease earlier.
	Attendance at pharmacies also presents other opportunities for discussion about the efficacy, side effects of medicines and the technology needs of people with diabetes.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amounts owed to each NHS trust for treatment of non UK nationals have been (a) collected and (b) not collected in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The total audited income from overseas visitors under non-reciprocal arrangements and total losses, bad debt and claims abandoned for overseas visitors by national health service trust for 2009-10 are shown in the following table. As well as non-UK nationals who are not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, these data include income from and written off debt for UK nationals who are not ordinarily resident here. Further, it does not include monies owed that hospitals are still in the process of attempting to recover.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Non reciprocal income received Bad debts and claims abandoned in respect of overseas patients 
			 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust 0 0 
			 Airedale NHS Trust 0 4,893 
			 Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust 107,000 48,506 
			 Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 654,931 961,298 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 297,000 185,351 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Barts and The London NHS Trust 658,000 645,375 
			 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust 79,000 931 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Bradford District Care NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 187,000 0 
			 Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust 472,000 23,998 
			 Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust 0 0 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 20,000 34,393 
			 Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Devon Partnership NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Dudley And Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 26,000 104,747 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 239,000 141,491 
			 East Cheshire NHS Trust 8,000 996 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 22,000 4,216 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 37,000 3,202 
			 Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 122,000 78,813 
			 George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 11,000 108 
			 Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust 28,000 0 
			 Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust 34,000 0 
			 Hull And East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 0 4,706 
			 Humber NHS Foundation Trust 0 0 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 3,312,000 355,870 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 66,000 816 
			 Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 137,000 20,088 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 1,355,000 0 
			 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust 6,000 0 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Manchester Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 340,000 10 
			 Mersey Care NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 11,000 0 
			 Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 28,000 0 
			 Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 499,000 645,732 
			 NHS Direct NHS Trust 0 0 
			 North Bristol NHS Trust 282,000 0 
			 North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust 15,000 1,223 
			 North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 288,000 239,148 
			 North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust 0 0 
			 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 805,000 403,282 
			 Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust 87,000 53,752 
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 0 0 
			 Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust 0 0 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 55,000 174,847 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust 597,000 0 
			 Oxford Learning Disability NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust 4,000 221,847 
			 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 351,000 181,152 
			 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 35,000 0 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 236,000 41,090 
			 Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust 92,000 0 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn NHS Trust 44,000 0 
			 Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic NHS Trust 0 188 
			 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust 30,000 0 
			 Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 79,000 16,383 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 777,000 651,455 
			 Royal Liverpool Broadgreen Hospitals NHS Trust 7,000 25,180 
			 Royal Surrey County NHS Foundation Trust 59,000 0 
			 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust 63,000 1,238 
			 Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHS Trust 20,000 29,156 
			 Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 52,000 87,242 
		
	
	
		
			 Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust 3,000 3,964 
			 Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust 25,000 -163 
			 South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 South Downs Health NHS Trust 0 0 
			 South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust 110,000 0 
			 South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 13,000 0 
			 South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust 22,000 10,790 
			 South West Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 South West London And St George's Mental Health NHS Trust 0 0 
			 South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust 0 0 
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 285,000 170,105 
			 Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 0 0 
			 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust 520,000 0 
			 St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 20,000 82 
			 Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust 207,000 43,019 
			 The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 1,014,000 479,336 
			 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 238,000 0 
			 The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 0 0 
			 The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust 63,000 6,897 
			 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust 4,000 0 
			 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust 31,000 1,284 
			 University Hospital of North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust 0 0 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 95,000 0 
			 University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust 563,000 247,291 
			 University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust 43,000 2,586 
			 Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 6,000 9,920 
			 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 193,000 354,798 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust 0 0 
			 West Middlesex University NHS Trust 235,000 0 
			 West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust 22,000 28,258 
			 Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 6,000 0 
			 Weston Area Health NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 355,000 198,656 
			 Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 69,000 0 
			 Winchester And Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust 160,000 17,714 
			 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0 
			 Total 17,036,000 6,967,260 
			 Note: We do not collect data from national health service foundation trusts so. figures exclude these sites. Source: National Health Service Trust Audited Summarisation Schedules.

Life Expectancy

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the effect on life expectancy of levels of air pollution in (a) London and (b) England.

Anne Milton: The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants has estimated(1) the effect on life expectancy from birth of removing all man-made fine particulate matter (PM2.5), an important air pollutant, for inner London, and for England and Wales on the basis of 2008 data. Research has shown that for inner London, removing man-made PM2.5 would lead to an increase of life expectancy of about nine months and the corresponding assessment for England and Wales would be approximately six months. The difference is due to the higher concentration of man-made PM2.5 in inner London.
	(1) The Mortality Effects of Long Term Exposure to Particulate Air Pollution in the United Kingdom:
	www.comeap.org.uk/documents/128-the-mortality-effects-of-long-terrri-exposure-to-particulate-air-pollution-in-the-uk.html

Lung Cancer: Screening

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the detection of lung cancer symptoms in primary care; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: To support earlier detection of cancer the Government have committed more than £450 million over the next four years. This money will give general practitioner (GPs) improved access to a range of diagnostic tests, including chest x-ray to support the diagnosis of lung cancer, and will fund campaign activity that aims to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and to encourage people to visit their GP when they have symptoms.
	Building on the success of our cancer awareness activity to date, which includes 59 local projects on lung, bowel and breast cancer and regional pilots for a national bowel cancer campaign, plans are now being developed for the next round of initiatives. These may include lung cancer symptom campaigns.

NHS Commissioning Board

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish information on the number of staff to be employed by the NHS Commissioning Board.

Simon Burns: Sir David Nicholson, chief designate of the NHS Commissioning Board, published ‘Developing the NHS Commissioning Board’ on 8 July 2011. This document sets out further details about the design and operating model of the NHS Commissioning Board, including an estimate of expected staff numbers.
	This document has been placed in the Library.

NHS Future Forum

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 29 June 2011, Official Report, column 871W, on NHS Future Forum, 
	(1)  whether (a) he or (b) Ministers in his Department played a role in selecting (i) Professor Field and (ii) members of the NHS Future Forum; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he took to ensure the independence of the NHS Future Forum when appointing senior members to it.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 29 June 2011, Official Report, column 871W, that the guiding principle for membership was to ensure that there was a wide range of stakeholders represented from different professional groups, the national health service and local government, the third sector and patient organisations. The Secretary of State for Health and other departmental Ministers were involved in selecting and confirming the appointment of the chair and other members of the NHS Future Forum.
	There were no restrictions placed on the NHS Future Forum as to whom they spoke to and met with or to the advice and recommendations they were able to make.

NHS: Drugs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what means levels of compensation are determined for specific medicines distributed by NHS pharmacists on a medicine-by-medicine basis; and whether this system takes into account price differences across chemically similar medicines.

Simon Burns: Payment for drugs and appliances provided by community pharmacies operating under the community pharmacy contractual framework is a Secretary of State determination and is set out each month in the Drug Tariff.
	The prices listed in part VIII of the Drug Tariff indicate what dispensers will be paid for dispensing prescriptions written generically. Dispensers can fulfil the prescription with which ever product they want or is available to them (brand or generic), but regardless of which product they supply, if there is a price in part VIII, they will only be paid this price. Prices in part VIII are established according to which category the price is in. Those in category M are set using sales and volume information from manufacturers, while also taking into account the findings of a pharmacy medicines margins survey, which monitors the amount of margin pharmacies earn on the medicines they dispense. Those in category C are set on the national health service list price of a specific named product.
	The reimbursement price of branded products is the NHS list price established under the 2009 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme, which is a voluntary agreement, agreed between the Department and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, or where not covered by the voluntary agreement, there is statutory scheme.
	Any price differences across chemically similar medicines are determined by these two schemes.

Older People: Preventive Medicine

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to Frontier Economic's findings on Social Return on Investment that investment in the WRVS services in preventative care for older people saves money for the NHS and local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The report was commissioned by the WRVS and has not been formally submitted to the Department.
	However, the Department recognises that investment in integrated preventative services by the national health service and local authorities can lead to better outcomes for individuals including helping people to live independently for longer, and can also realise efficiencies for both the NHS and local authorities. That is why we have invested £150 million in the NHS this year to support re-ablement, which will help people recover their independence after a spell in hospital.

Patients: Transport

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on criteria used for the provision of transport for non-urgent cases to hospital; and if he will revise the current guidance issued by his Department in this respect.

Simon Burns: There has been one parliamentary question raised since the start of this administration's term in Government, posed by my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (David Morris), who asked what steps the Government are taking to prevent misuse of hospital transport by those who do not have a valid medical reason to use the service.
	In 2005, the White Paper “Our Health, Our Care, Our Say”, made a commitment to extend eligibility for non-emergency patient transport services (PTS) to procedures that were traditionally provided in hospital, but are now available in a community setting. It also committed the Department to updating existing eligibility guidance (“Ambulance and other Patient Transport Services: Operation, Use and Performance Standards) published in 1991 and finance guidance documents (“Chapter 20 of the NHS Finance Manual Finance Arrangements for Ambulance Services”.
	Following a 13-week consultation in 2007, Ministers in response to these commitments approved changes to PTS eligibility.
	There are no current plans to revise the guidance further.

Skin Cancer

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients were first diagnosed with 
	(1)  skin cancer as an emergency aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) over 80 years in each year since 1997;
	(2)  metastatic melanoma as an emergency aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) over 80 years in each year since 1997.

Paul Burstow: This information is not held centrally.
	The National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) produced an analysis of cancer diagnosis, including for patients diagnosed as an emergency presentation, for all patients diagnosed with cancer, including melanoma, during 2007. A copy of the NCIN report “Route to diagnosis” has been placed in the Library, and it can also be found at:
	www.ncin.org.uk/publications/data_briefings/routes_to_diagnosis.aspx
	The findings of the NCIN report were considered in the development of “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published on 12 January 2011, which sets out our intention to move forward on a new data collection which would allow routine assessment of the proportion of cancers diagnosed through emergency routes. Work is now underway to examine the feasibility of this.

Social Services: Fees and Charges

Claire Perry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to review his allocation of social care funding following the increase in the number of delayed discharges from hospital in May 2011.

Paul Burstow: No one should be made to stay in hospital longer than is necessary. The national health service and social care must work together to ensure people have the support they need on leaving hospital. Some patients need particular support after a spell in hospital to settle back into their homes, recover their strength and regain their independence. The coalition Government have recently increased the level of investment made available to local health and care services to spend on front line services and helping people return to their homes after a spell in hospital.
	The spending review recognised the importance of social care in protecting the most vulnerable in society. In recognition of the pressures on the social care system in a challenging local government settlement, the coalition Government have allocated an additional £2 billion by 2014-15 to support the delivery of social care. This means, with an ambitious programme of efficiency, that there is enough funding available both to protect people's access to services and deliver new approaches to improve quality and outcomes.
	As part of this funding, this year funding of £150 million has been made available for re-ablement and £648 million for social care spend that benefits the NHS which could help to reduce the level of delayed discharges. The re-ablement money will help people to leave hospital more quickly, get settled back at home with the support they need, and to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital.
	Local authorities are responsible for decisions on how to allocate their resources.

Speech Therapy

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the introduction of (a) clinical commissioning groups and (b) health and wellbeing boards on services for those with speech, language and communication needs.

Simon Burns: Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, general practitioners (GPs) will be given real responsibility to ensure that commissioning decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. GPs, in partnership with other local healthcare professionals such as therapists and community nurses, are best placed to understand the speech, language and communication health needs of local populations and how to work with their local populations to design services that meet those needs.
	Clinical commissioning groups will work with elected councillors, local authority commissioners and representatives of patients and the public through health and wellbeing boards to develop a comprehensive analysis of health and social care needs in each local area, and to translate these into action through the joint health and wellbeing strategy and their own commissioning plans. Health and wellbeing boards will promote joined up commissioning that will support integrated provision of services across health and social care. This should mean that groups such as users of speech, language and communication services experience health and care services that are better joined up and better meet their needs as individuals.

Speech Therapy

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that NHS commissioners have adequate skills to commission services for children with special educational needs and/or speech, language and communication needs under his proposals for NHS reorganisation.

Simon Burns: Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, clinical commissioning groups will in future commission the majority of NHS services. The Government's response to the NHS Future Forum Report makes clear that it will strengthen existing duties on clinical commissioning groups to secure professional advice and ensure this advice is from a full range of health professionals where relevant In addition, clinical commissioning groups will receive expert support and advice from clinical networks and senates on the design and delivery of services.
	The NHS Commissioning Board will support clinical commissioning groups and hold them to account. The board will develop commissioning guidance to support effective commissioning, and promote consistent national Quality Standards produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to ensure all patients, including children with special educational needs and/or speech, language and communication needs, receive high quality services.
	In addition, we will ensure there is a particular emphasis within the emerging clinical commissioning group pathfinder programme of testing ways of ensuring that groups quickly develop knowledge and expertise in relation to more complex or specialist services.

St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of stroke patients admitted to the accident and emergency department of St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust in each month since January 2009.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected in the format requested.
	The following table provides the number of finished admission episodes, in which there was an emergency admission via accident and emergency (A&E) with a primary diagnosis of stroke, by month from January 2009.
	
		
			 A count of the finished admission episodes  (1)   where the primary diagnosis  (2 )  was stroke  (3)   in which there was an emergency admission via A&E  (4)   at St George's Healthcare NHS Trust; January 2009 to February 2011  (5, 6) 
			 Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			 Final/provisional data Episode end month Finished admission episodes 
			 Final year data January 2009 60 
			  February 2009 68 
			  March 2009 66 
			  April 2009 72 
			  May 2009 57 
			  June 2009 64 
			  July 2009 64 
			  August 2009 53 
			  September 2009 65 
			  October 2009 62 
			  November 2009 64 
			  December 2009 74 
			  January 2010 80 
			  February 2010 72 
			  March 2010 59 
			    
			 Provisional data April 2010 67 
			  May 2010 60 
			  June 2010 69 
			  July 2010 75 
			  August 2010 105 
			  September 2010 117 
			  October 2010 119 
			  November 2010 103 
			  December 2010 117 
		
	
	
		
			  January 2011 95 
			  February 2011 94 
			 (1) Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. (3) Stroke It should be noted that the ICD-10 codes for Stroke are: I60 Subarachnoid haemorrhage I61 Intracerebral haemorrhage I62 Other nontraumatic intracranial haemorrhage I63 Cerebral infarction I64 Stroke not specified as haemorrhage or infarction (4) Emergency admission via A&E The method of admission code identifies how the patient was admitted to hospital. The following admission methods were used to classify an admission as being an emergency via A&E: 21 = Emergency: via A&E services, including the casualty department of the provider 28 = Emergency: other means, including patients who arrive via the A&E department of another healthcare provider). Data to be based on in-patients rather than A&E universe (5) Provisional data The data is provisional and may be incomplete or contain errors for which no adjustments have yet been made. Counts produced from provisional data are likely to be lower than those generated for the same period in the final dataset. This shortfall will be most pronounced in the final month of the latest period, ie November from the (month 9) April to November extract. It is also probable that clinical data are not complete, which may in particular affect the last two months of any given period. There may also be errors due to coding inconsistencies that have not yet been investigated and corrected. (6) Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Note: Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES); Outpatients, The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Display) Regulations 2010

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects on bulk tobacconists of implementation of the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Display) Regulations 2010;
	(2)  how much hand-rolling tobacco was sold by bulk tobacconists in pre-packed quantities with a weight of 250 grams or more in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many businesses supplying hand-rolling tobacco meet the definition of bulk tobacconist in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Display) (England) Regulations 2010;
	(4)  what plans he has to review regulations relating to the supply of bulk tobacco.

Anne Milton: The legislation relating to the display of tobacco products does not apply to businesses in which tobacco products are only on display for the purposes of the tobacco trade and to people engaged in, or employed by that trade.
	The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Display) Regulations 2010 (“the Regulations”) provide an exemption for retail stores that only sell bulk quantities of tobacco. No assessment has been made of the impact of the legislation on these businesses, because provisions for tobacco display will not come into effect for such businesses until April 2015. Before the Regulations were made, following public consultation on the initial draft, the definition of bulk tobacconists in the Regulations was amended to more accurately reflect the nature of bulk tobacco sales, based on the feedback received.
	The Department does not routinely collect data on sales of bulk tobacco. The Department does not hold precise figures on the number of businesses that will meet the definition of bulk tobacconist in the Regulations but these types of stores will include both cash and carry type stores and duty free stores.
	The Government have committed to amend legislation on tobacco displays to delay implementation and make it less burdensome for retailers, as set out in the written ministerial statement made by the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), on 9 March 2011, Official Report, columns 66-67WS. The amending regulations will include statutory duty to undertake a review, five years after the regulations have come fully into force.

Tuberculosis: Medical Treatments

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to fund the Find and Treat Tuberculosis Project and the mobile x-ray screening unit after April 2012.

Anne Milton: The national health service in London has funded the Find and Treat service since April 2011. Therefore, decisions about future funding of Find and Treat will be made by the NHS in London, in the context of their current review of tuberculosis (TB) services in London which will lead to a TB plan for London due later this year.
	The Department commissioned the Health Protection Agency to evaluate the Find and Treat service (including the mobile x-ray unit).
	The final evaluation report, which is subject to academic peer review, indicates that the service is both clinically and cost effective.

Tuberculosis: Medical Treatments

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation of the Find and Treat Tuberculosis Service and mobile x-ray screening unit his Department has carried out; what the conclusions were of the final evaluation; and when he will make the full report publicly available.

Anne Milton: The Department commissioned the Health Protection Agency to evaluate the Find and Treat service (including the mobile x-ray unit).
	The final evaluation report, which is subject to academic peer review, indicates that the service is both clinically and cost effective. Once the report has been peer-reviewed and finalised, it will be made publicly available.

Access to Work Programme

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many disabled people are being supported in employment in his Department under its access to work programme.

Henry Bellingham: None. Ministerial Government Departments directly fund workplace support for their own disabled staff, instead of using Access to Work. The HR Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides support for disabled staff. As of 4 July, 258 members of staff have disclosed a disability and those that require them have been provided with reasonable adjustments.

Afghanistan: Pakistan

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the government of Pakistan's policy to have a strategic role in the future of Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: We agree with Pakistan that peace and stability in Afghanistan will not be achieved through force alone and that the key is a genuinely representative political outcome that addresses the political and economic aspirations of all Afghan citizens, and the wider region. Pakistan has a positive role to play in supporting this Afghan-led process.
	The UK encourages greater cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan which will help improve peace and security on both sides of their borders. We warmly welcome the recent strengthening of the Afghanistan-Pakistan bilateral relationship including the recent visits of Prime Minister Gilani to Kabul and President Karzai to Pakistan.

Africa: Piracy

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the safety of UK ships off the (a) east and (b) west coast of Africa from the threat of piracy.

Henry Bellingham: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), is in regular contact with ministerial colleague on these matters and he attended an NSC discussion on Somalia on 11 July, where piracy was discussed.
	The Prime Minister recently discussed Somali piracy with his counter-parts at the G8 summit, where partners underlined their determination to continue to respond resolutely to the threat. The G8 remains focused on the safety of shipping in both East and West Africa.
	I recently chaired two cross-Whitehall ministerial working groups, with the Under-Secretary of State for Transport and the Minister for the Armed Forces, the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), to discuss the threat of Somali Piracy. The working group recently visited the EU's Counter-Piracy HQ at Northwood, and met senior figures from industry.

EU Relations

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has entered into with his European counterparts regarding the promotion of greater market integration in (a) European energy markets, (b) European services markets and (c) European digital services markets.

Edward Davey: As Minister responsible of many of the policy areas in this question I have been asked to reply.
	Energy
	Market integration of European energy markets is a priority for the UK in delivering our objectives of secure and affordable energy. This issue is regularly discussed by Ministers across Whitehall departments at European as well as bilateral engagements.
	European services markets
	During meetings with counterparts in other States Ministers, I use every opportunity to stress the importance of completing the Single Market for services. I raised this at the Competitiveness Council on 9 March 2011. The European Commissioner responsible for this area, Michel Barnier, visited the UK at the beginning of April when he discussed this matter with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable). I hosted a ministerial meeting on 6 July in Lancaster House (attended by ministerial and official representatives from the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, Ireland, Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic and Latvia) where we agreed to unite our efforts and jointly lobby European Commission to accelerate the pace of implementation of the Services Directive and to promote the Digital Single Market.

Germany: World War II

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to commemorate the White Rose resistance movement; and if he will make a statement. [R]

David Lidington: While I applaud the valiant resistance demonstrated by the White Rose movement, I do not currently plan to take steps to commemorate them.

Germany: World War II

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of information held by his Department on the White Rose resistance movement; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: Information Management Department have searched FCO records, including records already transferred to The National Archives, but have been unable to find any references to the White Rose resistance movement.
	While I applaud the valiant resistance demonstrated by the White Rose movement, I do not currently plan to take steps to commemorate them.

Government Communications Headquarters: Bude

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many US personnel are based at GCHQ Bude.

David Lidington: Government Communications Headquarters Bude employs approximately 200 people and supports the interests of the UK and its allies. It is long standing policy not to provide a detailed breakdown of staffing.

Italy: Higher Education

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed with his Italian counterpart the implementation in Italian law of judgments of the European Court of Justice in respect of the position in Italy of UK and other foreign national lecturers.

David Lidington: The UK Government continues to bring to the attention of the Italian authorities the issue of discrimination over jobs and pay against UK and foreign national lecturers in Italian universities. I raised the issue with the Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, on 21 June 2011. I am also writing to ask him what steps his Government will put in place to secure a resolution to this longstanding issue.
	The Italian Government maintains the position that Italian legislation is compliant with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) judgments, and the issue is now a matter for individual universities. The universities remain adamant that the issue cannot be resolved without additional funding from the Government.

Italy: Sikhs

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed with his Italian counterpart the respect given by Italian government authorities to the Sikh turban.

David Lidington: I am aware of specific incidents in Italy where members of the Sikh community have been asked to remove their turbans for security checks at airports. I understand the distress this will have caused. According to reports from our embassy in Rome, the Italian authorities confirmed in June that Sikhs would no longer be required to remove their turbans at airports. The Minister of State, Department for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), wrote to all her EU counterparts in June to explain a trial being undertaken in the UK of an alternative procedure for delivering elements of EU regulations on screening passengers prior to travel. I hope this procedure will be considered by EU authorities.

Kenya: Clara Gutteridge

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether during his recent visit to Kenya he made representations to the Kenyan government in respect of Clara Gutteridge, who was deported from Kenya on 10 May 2011.

Henry Bellingham: I visited Kenya in late May 2011. Although I did not raise Ms Gutteridge's case on that occasion, I raised it with Prime Minister Odinga during his recent visit to London in July. The UK Government have taken her case very seriously and raised it with the Kenyan authorities on a number of occasions since her deportation. In particular, we have raised concerns that her deportation was in response to legitimate work on human rights issues related to terrorism suspects transferred to Uganda, rather than on grounds relating to counter-terrorism. We have also publicly and privately raised concerns about allegations of rendition, which I know is a particular focus of the work she was involved with.

Lithuania: World War II

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the adoption by the Parliament of Lithuania of legislation on compensation for Jewish property looted during the Second World War; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: I welcome the adoption by the Lithuanian Parliament on 21 June 2011 of a law which will provide compensation for communal and religious property owned by the Jewish community of Lithuania before the second world war. This compensation will support the ongoing social and cultural life of the Jewish community in Lithuania and help ensure that their historical contribution to that country and Europe is remembered. This law, signed by the Lithuanian President, Dalia Grybauskaite, on 5 July 2011, approves the decision to pay 128 million Litas (approximately £32 million) in the next 10 years to compensate Jewish people for the property expropriated from them by totalitarian regimes.
	The compensation will be paid during the period 2013-23 and transferred to a special fund administered by a governing body representing the Jewish Community in Lithuania.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Israeli government regarding the observance of UN Security Council Resolution 1860 and the naval blockade of Gaza.

Alistair Burt: The UK recognises that Israel has legitimate security concerns that must continue to be safeguarded, and believes that efforts to maintain security while enabling movement and access for Palestinian people and goods are critical.
	We remain clear that the situation in Gaza is both a tragedy and unsustainable. While there is no humanitarian crisis, there is an enduring need for humanitarian aid. We have also been clear that actions by both Israel and Hamas have contributed to this situation. Working closely with the EU and Quartet, we continue to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access and enable a return to economic normality. During my recent visit to the region, I explained the risks to Israel from the current situation in Gaza.
	Israel's decision to move from a list of 120 permitted goods to a list of specific prohibited items was a positive step. However there has been no fundamental change in the crossings regime and economic stagnation and de-development in Gaza remain the norm. We are clear that more needs to be done, particularly to enable exports, accelerate key imports for reconstruction and ensure free movement of people. Without economic growth in Gaza, there is a risk of fostering a more broadly radicalised environment. An improved economy and a resurgence of Gaza's pragmatic business fraternity are not only essential for the people of Gaza, but are also firmly in Israel's security interests.

Middle East: Natural Gas

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the effects of gas explosions in Israel and Jordan in recent months.

Alistair Burt: On 17 June, local press reported a gas explosion killed four people and injured more than 60 in the Israeli coastal town of Netanya. The Israeli police said the blast was likely to have been caused by negligence and confirmed the attack was not an act of terrorism. One person has been arrested.
	I am also aware of reports that the pipeline that carries natural gas from Egypt to Israel and Jordan has been attacked three times this year, the most recently on 4 July. After the fall of President Mubarak, an agreement that was reached between the Egyptian military and Bedouin tribes that only Bedouins can guard the pipeline's control rooms. The gas deal and the pipeline have long been unpopular as it is seen as a symbol of Egypt's unpopular peace treaty with Israel.

Military Aircraft: Exports

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions with other governments (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had on the export of (i) Hawk Mk. 128 and (ii) Eurofighter Typhoon Aircraft

Alistair Burt: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers promote actively key UK defence sector export opportunities at relevant meetings with their international counterparts, complementing action by other UK Government Ministers. Among other engagements, this has included the promotion of Eurofighter Typhoon with the Indian Government, and the Government welcomes strongly the selection of Typhoon for the final phase of India's medium multi-role combat aircraft competition.

Nuclear Disarmament: Finance

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's budget is for stimulating nuclear disarmament initiatives in 2011-12.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is set to spend approximately £140,000 in 2011-12 on nuclear disarmament projects relating to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and the comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty. This is in addition to resource allocated to nuclear disarmament related research by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Atomic Weapons Establishment.
	Separate to our project spend, the majority of the FCO's resource towards making progress on nuclear disarmament comprises staff for multilateral negotiations, working groups and table-top exercises.

Sri Lanka: Broadcasting Programmes

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Sri Lankan Government following allegations made in a recent television documentary on that country.

Alistair Burt: I spoke to the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on 14 June. I made it clear that the Sri Lankan Government needs to address the allegations contained in the material recently shown in that television documentary and arising from the UN Panel of Experts Report. The UK has consistently called for an independent, thorough and credible enquiry into allegations of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by both sides during the military conflict in Sri Lanka. In common with our partners in the international community, we expect to see progress on this by the end of the year.
	If the Sri Lankan Government does not respond the UK will work with the international community in considering all options available to press the Sri Lankan Government to fulfil its obligations.

Sudan

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the emergence of Southern Sudan as an independent state.

Henry Bellingham: South Sudan will become as an independent state on 9 July. There is much more work both north and south have to do in the coming days, not least on resolving the outstanding issues of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement; a continuing UN presence; and the worrying humanitarian situation. We urge both north and south to work together up to and beyond 9 July and maintain peace and stability as new neighbours.

United States of America

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of changes in the relationship between the UK and the USA since the state visit of President Obama.

Alistair Burt: President Obama's State Visit to the UK in May made clear the importance of the relationship ("not just special, but essential"). We are working closely together in Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere to bring security to people around the world. One million jobs in each of our countries depend on our investment partnership. We are each other's top partners in science, research and higher education, shaping the future of our economies and bringing jobs and growth to our citizens.
	A number of initiatives were announced during the visit to intensify further UK/US co-operation in a range of areas, including the establishment of a Joint Strategy Board, co-operation in higher education, science and research, on military families, development, and cyber-security. Work is now in hand to follow these up.

Access to Work Programme

Anne McGuire: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many disabled employees of his Department are receiving support from the Access to Work programme; and what proportion of the work force of his Department this figure represents.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has no record of any staff receiving support from the access to work programme.

Citizenship: Armed Forces

Michael Fallon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether members of Combined Cadet Forces are eligible for the National Citizenship Service pilots.

Nick Hurd: National Citizen Service is designed to bring together young people from different backgrounds in a programme of social action and personal development. Members of combined cadet forces are eligible to take part in National Citizen Service pilots, as are young people from all backgrounds who meet the age criteria for participation.

Citizenship: Kent

Michael Fallon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many young people from (a) Sevenoaks and (b) Kent he expects to participate in the National Citizenship Service pilots.

Nick Hurd: The Government are piloting National Citizen Service in a wide range of locations across England in 2011. The Government anticipate that up to 150 young people will be able to take part in National Citizen Service pilots in Kent this year. Those young people will be drawn from a range of locations across Kent and there is no target specifically for young people in Sevenoaks. We hope that if successful at the pilot stage, National Citizen Service opportunities will be open to many more young people in future years.

Citizenship: Young Offenders

Michael Fallon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many young offenders he expects to participate in the National Citizenship Service pilots.

Nick Hurd: National Citizen Service pilot providers are required to ensure that young people from a range of different backgrounds take part in their schemes. While the Government have not set a target for National Citizen Service participants who have been through the youth justice system, many of our pilot providers are highly experienced in working with this group and we expect that many participants will be drawn from this background. An independent evaluation of the pilot programme will provide data on the composition of the pilot participant cohorts.

Departmental Dismissal

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in his Department were dismissed for under-performance as a result of the procedures arising from his Department's staff appraisal system in each of the last three years.

Gregory Barker: I am unable to give the requested information, in respect of the number of officials in the Department of Energy and Climate Change that were dismissed for underperformance as the numbers involved are less than 10 people each year and so to give further details could breach confidentiality.

Departmental Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many regulations his Department has introduced (a) in the six months prior to 1 September 2010 and (b) in the six months after 1 September 2010 which it has determined do not impose costs on businesses.

Gregory Barker: In the six months prior to 1 September 2010, eight regulations introduced by my Department came into force, which do not impose costs on businesses.
	The Overhead Lines (Exempt Installations) (Consequential Provisions) Order 2010
	The Overhead Lines (Exempt Installations) Order 2010
	The Electricity (Exemption from the Requirement for a Generation Licence) (Millennium and Kilbraur) (Scotland) Order 2010
	The Electricity (Exemption from the Requirement for a Generation Licence) (Keadby) (England and Wales) Order 2010
	The Energy Act 2004 (Commencement No. 10) Order 2010
	The Energy Act 2008 (Commencement No. 5) Order 2010
	The Sale of Electricity by Local Authorities (Scotland) Regulations 2010
	The Sale of Electricity by Local Authorities (England & Wales) Regulations 2010
	In the six months after 1 September 2010, eight regulations introduced by my Department came into force, which do not impose costs on businesses:
	Radioactive Contaminated Land Regulations (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2010
	Radioactive Contaminated Land (Enabling Powers and Modification of Enactments) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2010
	Radioactive Contaminated Land (Enabling Powers and Modification of Enactments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2010
	Radioactive Contaminated Land (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2010
	The Justification Decision (Generation of Electricity by the EPR Nuclear Reactor) Regulations 2010
	The Justification Decision (Generation of Electricity by the AP1000 Nuclear Reactor) Regulations 2010
	The Submarine Pipelines (Designated Owners) Order
	The Lynn and Inner Dowsing Offshore Wind Farms (Amendment) Order 2011
	The Government's policy is to consider alternatives to Regulation. Details of regulatory measures introduced in the first half of 2011 can be found in the Statement of New Regulation in the Library of the House.
	Costs are detailed in the Impact Assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/1033/pdfs/uksiem_20111033_en.pdf
	The Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2011
	Costs are detailed in the Impact Assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/984/pdfs/uksiem_20110984_en.pdf
	The Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	Costs are detailed in the Impact Assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/765/pdfs/uksiem_20110765_en.pdf
	The Gas (Exemptions) Order 2011
	Costs are detailed in the Impact Assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/232/pdfs/uksiem_20110232_en.pdf
	The Electricity (Guarantees of Origin of Electricity Produced from Renewable Energy Sources) (Amendment) Regulations 2010
	Costs are detailed in the Impact Assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2715/pdfs/uksiem_20102715_en.pdf
	The Nuclear Decommissioning and Waste Handling (Designated Technical Matters) Order 2010
	Costs are detailed in the Impact Assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2850/pdfs/uksiem_20102850_en.pdf
	The Storage of Carbon Dioxide (Licensing etc.) Regulations 2010
	Costs are detailed in the Impact Assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2221/pdfs/uksiem_20102221_en.pdf
	No DECC regulations have been removed since 1 September 2010. However, DECC remains committed to simplifying the statute book and reducing the burden of regulation on business where possible. Internal reviews of our regulatory stock and engagement with our stakeholders have identified a number of potential repeals and simplifications to date, with the exact process for repealing these currently being explored. We will continue our efforts to identify opportunities to eliminate any unnecessary burden on businesses this year through full engagement with the ‘Red Tape Challenge’.
	No regulations have so far been excluded from the one-in one-out system because they address emergencies and systemic financial risks.

Energy: Australia

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with his Australian counterpart on government schemes for domestic insulation and energy efficiency in that country; and if he will publish any related documents.

Gregory Barker: I have looked at the evidence of the Australian experience, where inadequate standards underpinned the Government's retrofit scheme. It confirms the importance of standards.
	The Green Deal to be launched next year will have strong framework for accreditation, which will set the necessary technical standards for installation and competence levels for installers, as well as customer care and warranty requirements.

Feed-in Tariffs

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cumulative cost of feed-in tariffs to energy consumers up to 2020 under (a) unchanged tariff levels and (b) the proposed fast track tariffs for large solar photovoltaic and farm-scale anaerobic digestion.

Gregory Barker: If the generation tariffs for large scale solar photovoltaics remained unchanged, the cumulative cost to consumers of the FITs scheme would be up to £6.8 billion (discounted, 2011 prices) between 2011 and 2020, more than double the original projected costs for the scheme.
	If the changes are made as proposed in response to the fast track review, and as currently before both Houses for consideration, we estimate that the cumulative cost to consumers will be around £3.3 billion (discounted, 2011 prices) to 2020.

Green Deal Scheme: Financial Institutions

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what meetings (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) his officials have had with representatives of banking and other financial institutions to discuss the Green Deal;
	(2)  what meetings he has had with representatives of (a) Lloyds TSB, (b) HSBC, (c) Royal Bank of Scotland, (d) the Co-operative Bank and (e) Northern Rock to discuss the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: Ministers and officials have had And continue to have, significant engagement with the finance community about the Green deal. This has included meetings with individual institutions, and the use of a finance stakeholder forum. DECC officials have also participated in finance forums and workshops hosted by members of the finance community and others, such as the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

Nuclear Power Stations: Air Traffic Control

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent evaluation he has made of the adequacy of the scope of the air exclusion zone (AEZs) around UK nuclear installations; what information his Department holds on the scope of AEZs around nuclear installations in other EU-member states; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Ensuring the security of nuclear sites and nuclear material is a matter for individual EU member states. Security arrangements for the protection of UK nuclear sites are kept under constant review as part of a continuous process to ensure existing arrangements are robust, effective, comply with international standards and best practice.
	The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Nuclear Installations) Regulations 2007 which restricts flying in the vicinity of certain nuclear installations in the UK, as specified in Schedule 2 to the Regulations, were introduced following the September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. These regulations were last amended in 2009. However, as a number of UK civil nuclear installations are in the process of decommissioning, consideration will need to be given to review this. The Department will need to work with Department of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority and Ministry of Defence on the timing of future amendments to the Regulations.
	The Department has no information on air exclusion zones around nuclear installations in other EU member states.

Afghanistan: Health Services

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department plans to take to support the Government of Afghanistan to (a) fill its national health worker gap and (b) ensure that health workers are supported to work in the parts of that country in greatest need.

Andrew Mitchell: Since 2002 the UK has provided aid to support the health sector in Afghanistan through the multi-donor Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). In 2009-10 this funded the salaries of 320,000 public servants including health workers. In the absence of an IMF programme DFID is delaying further payments to the ARTF. We intend to resume payments as soon as a new IMF programme is agreed.

Gambia: Overseas Aid

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Sevenoaks of 23 June 2011, Official Report, column 415W, on Gambia: overseas aid, how much financial support the UK will provide to Gambia through increasing its share of multilateral programming.

Stephen O'Brien: As referred to in my answer of 23 June 2011, we do not have planned allocations for UK support to The Gambia through multilateral organisations in future years. Almost 40% of the UK’s aid programme is channelled through multilateral organisations. As part of the Multilateral Aid Review (MAR), the Government are determined to ensure that UK aid is directed to where it can make the greatest difference.

Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of adult apprenticeship starts in 2010-11 that were learners who had previously enrolled on the train to gain scheme.

John Hayes: We do not have information available on the number of adult apprentices starting in the 2010/11 academic year that were previously enrolled on the Train to Gain scheme in 2009/10 academic year.
	Since May 2010, the Skills Funding Agency encouraged colleges and providers to switch(1) activity from Train to Gain to support more employers to invest in Apprenticeships and support the Government's commitment to an additional 50,000 adult Apprenticeships.
	Provisional data shows that this Government has delivered 326,700 apprenticeship starts in the first nine months of the 2010/11 academic year—this is 114,000 more than the previous year and more than double our ambition.
	(1) In June 2011 (Statistical First Release) there were 327,000 Apprenticeship starts and 354,000 Train to Gain starts (between August and April) compared to 212,000 Apprenticeships starts and 427,000 Train to Gain starts for the same period in 2010.

Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people aged between 19 and 24 who were not able to find an apprenticeship placement in 2010-11.

John Hayes: holding answer 7 July 2011
	We do not hold information on the numbers of 19 to 24-year-olds who have not been able to find Apprenticeship placements in 2010-11. In 2009/10, more 19 to 24-year-olds (113,800) started an apprenticeship(1 )when compared to previous years.
	Apprenticeship opportunities are determined by employer demand for apprentices. The National Apprenticeship Service, working with the Skills Funding Agency and local authorities, regularly review the take up of apprenticeships by both employers and individuals (across all age groups) to ensure that employer demand is being met.
	(1 )Statistical First Release website:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/

Apprentices: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Government's announcement of 24 May 2010 of £150 million of funding for adult apprenticeship places, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the 173,800 additional adult apprenticeship places that have been taken up in 2010-11 to date.

John Hayes: holding answer 7 July 2011
	We do not recognise the figure of 173,800 additional adult apprenticeship places that have been taken up in 2010/11 to date.
	In May 2010 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced an ambition to fund 50,000 new adult (19 years or older) Apprenticeship starts in the 2010-11 financial year. The latest provisional data show that against a baseline of 153,200 starts, we have delivered 257,000 starts. This means that this Government have delivered 103,800 additional apprenticeship starts from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011.
	The National Apprenticeship Service estimate the cost to the public purse of the 103,800 additional adult apprenticeship places that have been taken up in 2010-11 financial year April 2010 to March 2011 is £220 million.

Apprentices: Per Capita Costs

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average unit cost was by apprenticeship framework of an apprenticeship place for a person aged 25 years and above in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 in (i) England and (ii) each region; and what estimate he has made of the cost in 2011-12.

John Hayes: holding answer 5 July 2011
	The cost of delivering an Apprenticeship varies significantly depending on the industry in which the Apprenticeship framework is being delivered; length of stay on the programme; whether the framework is at Level 2 or 3; and the age of the participant. Therefore average unit costs are unlikely to provide a meaningful comparator.
	Funding rates are calculated on a national basis only. The overall average unit cost(1) of a full Apprenticeship framework for a person aged 25 years and above in England are set out in the following table. Further information about average unit costs for 2011/12 will be published in the next Skills Funding Agency guidance note.
	
		
			 Framework values 
			  25+ (£) 
			 2008/09 3,883 
			 2009/10 3,548 
			 2010/11 3,059 
		
	
	(1) Average unit costs are based on the national rates for each academic year for Apprenticeships undertaken by learners aged 25 and over assuming all aspects of the Apprenticeship are required (namely key skills, NVQs and technical skills where appropriate) and that there is no prior learning. Apprenticeships for learners aged 25 and over are co-funded, with the employer expected to contribute towards the training costs.

Apprentices: Per Capita Costs

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average unit cost was by apprenticeship framework of an apprenticeship place for a person aged between 19 to 24 years in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 in (i) England and (ii) each region; and what estimate he has made of the cost in 2011-12.

John Hayes: holding answer 5 July 2011
	The cost of delivering an Apprenticeship varies significantly depending on the industry in which the Apprenticeship framework is being delivered; length of stay on the programme; whether the framework is at Level 2 or 3; and the age of the participant. Therefore average unit costs are unlikely to provide a meaningful comparator.
	Funding rates are calculated on a national basis only. The overall average unit cost(1) of a full Apprenticeship framework for a person aged 19 to 24 years of age in England are set out in the following table. Further information about average unit costs for 2011/12 will be published in the next Skills Funding Agency guidance note.
	
		
			 Framework values 
			  19 to 24 (£) 
			 2008/09 3,883 
			 2009/10 3,942 
			 2010/11 3,823 
		
	
	(1) Average unit costs are based on the national rates for each academic year for Apprenticeships undertaken by learners aged 19 to 24 assuming all aspects of the Apprenticeship are required (namely key skills, NVQs and technical skills where appropriate) and that there is no prior learning. Apprenticeships for learners aged 19 to 24 are co-funded, with the employer expected to contribute towards the training costs.

Careers Service: Manpower

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of staff who will work for the new careers service in England in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: The Skills Funding Agency which administers the current Next Step service estimates that the new service will be delivered by approximately 4,200 advisers in the first year of its operation. This estimate is based on the number of Customer Record Management licences currently in force for the Next Step face to face service channel and the number of advisers employed in the Next Step and Connexions Direct contact centres.

Davenham Trust

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has received any representations on the financial relationship between the Royal Bank of Scotland and Davenham Trust Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has received no representations regarding Davenham Trust Ltd or its financial relationship with Royal Bank of Scotland.

Further Education

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received from further education colleges on the provision and accreditation of degree courses.

David Willetts: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) and I have received a substantial number of recent representations from further education colleges on their provision of degree courses. The Higher Education White Paper sets out our proposals to improve the provision of degree courses in further education colleges. This includes allowing further education colleges and other providers who combine good quality with value for money to bid for a flexible margin of 20,000 student places in 2012/13 and changes to degree-awarding powers that are likely to increase the range of validating institutions, giving greater choice for further education colleges.

Higher Education

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many representations he has received in favour of amending the process of gaining (a) a university title and (b) degree awarding powers.

David Willetts: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and I have received a number of representations from a range of organisations in favour of amending the process on university title and degree awarding powers. The Higher Education White Paper sets out our proposals in these areas and the forthcoming regulatory framework consultation will explore these proposals in more detail and seek further views.

Higher Education: Admissions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from the Government's Advocate for Access to Education on the access agreements of individual higher education institutions; and which institutions have been the subject of such representations.

David Willetts: holding answer 7 July 2011
	The submission of draft access agreements and the subsequent discussions with higher education institutions are a matter for the director of Fair Access, who is independent of Government. Once approved by the director, all access agreements are published on the website of the Office for Fair Access at:
	http://www.offa.org.uk/access-agreements/
	Simon Hughes has now completed his term as the Government's Advocate for Access to Education. He will shortly be presenting his final report to the Prime Minister and it making it public.

Office for Fair Access: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the budget of the Office for Fair Access in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 7 July 2011
	In the financial year 2010/11 the Office of Fair Access (OFFA) baseline budget was £484,000, We have agreed in the course of this year (2011/12) to increase this to £630,000 and have said to the director that we will keep under review his needs for resources.
	The Government have committed through the recent Higher Education White Paper to strengthen OFFA, so that it can provide more active and energetic challenge and support to universities and colleges. We will want to work with the director on the size and structure of OFFA but will make significantly more resources available, increasing capacity up to around four times its original level.
	For any university wanting to charge more than £6,000, the Government issued, in February, new and strengthened guidance to the director of fair access asking the director to review access agreements annually rather than every five years as at present.

Regional Growth Fund: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many bids to the regional growth fund from the west midlands were unsuccessful in the first round.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 6 July 2011
	66 bids from the west midlands were unsuccessful in round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund.

St George's Property Services London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will examine the circumstances surrounding the appointment of Paul Clark and David Whitehouse as administrators of St George's Property Service London Ltd.

Edward Davey: Neither the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), nor I have the authority to investigate the circumstances surrounding the appointment of the administrators. The administrators act under the supervision of the court and issues associated with their appointment and subsequent actions have been the subject of judicial consideration. The Chancellor of the High Court in his judgment on appeal delivered on 14 October 2010 set aside an order to remove the administrators.
	With regard to the general conduct of the administrators, any concerns would be for the consideration of the regulatory body responsible for authorising the administrators, in this case the Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA).

THQ Digital Studios

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2011 to the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Official Report, columns 480-1W, on THQ, what discussions UK Trade and Investment officials have had with representatives of THQ on the closure of its Warrington studios.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 6 July 2011
	A UK Trade and Investment official met with the Senior Vice President, European Publishing in Woking on 23 March 2011 and more recently met with the Executive Vice President of Global Publishing in the USA on 8 June 2011. Neither mentioned the closure of the Warrington studios at these meetings.

Working Hours: EU Law

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) correspondence and (b) meetings (i) Ministers and (ii) senior officials of his Department have had with (A) the UK Permanent Representative to the EU and (B) the Department of Health, on revisions to the application of the European Working Time Directive in the last 12 months.

Edward Davey: Restricting the application of the Working Time Directive in the United Kingdom is a key coalition commitment and Ministers and officials in this Department work closely with the office of the UK Permanent Representative to the EU and with the Department of Health, and with other interested Departments to achieve this objective. Although formal European negotiations on a revised directive have yet to begin, Departments have worked together to ensure UK views on the directive are known and understood, in particular by the Commission and other member states.
	It would not be practical to record the ongoing, regular contacts between Departments on these matters. At ministerial level, in addition to discussions within Cabinet Committees, I met my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Health on 14 September 2010; the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) and I met with the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley) on 3 May, and the Secretary of State for Health and I will jointly visit Brussels on 13 July to meet with Commissioner Andor to discuss Working Time.

East Coast Railway Line: Franchises

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bid clarification requests were made by the shortlisted bidders in respect of the Greater Anglia franchise in the latest period for which figures are available; and to how many such requests his Department responded within its target time for such responses.

Theresa Villiers: 719 clarification requests were made by shortlisted bidders as of 30 June. We undertake to respond expeditiously having regard to the extent and availability of information requested. We endeavour to respond to all queries before bids are submitted. We do not state a specific target time to respond but aim for a 14 calendar day turnaround for clarification requests for which information is readily available. We achieved this on 475 of the requests.

High Speed 1

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average seat occupancy rate of all passenger rail services on the High Speed One rail route was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. However, the Office of Rail Regulation publishes timetabled train-km and passenger-km for train operating companies from National Rail Trends. This information can be found on their website, at:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.2026
	The last period for which information is available is Q3 or Q4 2010-11 (different measures have different availability). This information was used to inform calculations on train utilisation made in the McNulty report. However, data from LCR were specifically excluded from the McNulty calculations and are not published. This information was used to inform calculations on train utilisation made in the McNulty study into rail value for money, copies of which can be found at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/realising-the-potential-of-gb-rail

Thameslink: Rolling Stock

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the procurement contract for the Thameslink rolling stock contract was first tendered.

Theresa Villiers: The Thameslink Rolling Stock invitation to tender was issued on 27 November 2008.